


10 Years Later

by QueenOfTheMerryMen



Series: 10 Years Later [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, OQ Prompt Party 2018, Outlaw Queen - Freeform, Queens of Darkness (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-04-06 06:38:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 26,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14051124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfTheMerryMen/pseuds/QueenOfTheMerryMen
Summary: The day they graduated high school Robin Locksely broke Regina's Mills heart. 10 years later and it's still his biggest regret. He's thought of her everyday since but now it's time for their high school reunion. Regina Mills is back in town and Robin has one chance to undo the worst mistake he's ever made.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [glindalovesshoes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/glindalovesshoes/gifts).



She looked good.

Better than he remembered, she took his breath away at first glance, nostalgia and regret sweeping over him the second he caught sight of her.

When David suggested that they host the first night of the high school reunion Robin’s first instinct was to roll his eyes. He knew it was coming up - the ten year anniversary of their graduation - but he hadn’t planned on celebrating or even attending the reunion everyone seemed so intent on shoving down his throat. It just seemed like a waste of time or money to commemorate something so arbitrary. Despite the fact that events would be taking place all over town for the weekend, he hadn’t even planned on going.

That was until he realized that it might be his only chance to see her again.

So he caved and let David and his wife take over the Golden Arrow for the night. It wasn’t as if the old bar couldn’t use a boost. A night of drunk high school alumni could be just what he needed, financially speaking.

The reunion kick-off had started at seven. By 7:30 the place was filled wall to wall with former Storybrooke High grads. Honestly, he was a little surprised by the turn out. He’d expected for most of his old classmates to blow this off but even from behind the bar he could see face after face, all familiar, trailing into his family’s bar, most of them joking about how they could actually use their real ID’s this time.

The atmosphere was joyful, all around people were reminiscing about the past, marveling at the changes they’d made since then. He saw people he hadn’t seen in years, looking thinner or fatter, in love, with children or well-traveled. Some of them looked lonely or disappointed but those were ones filling up at the bar so he wouldn’t begrudge them their regrets. It’s not like he didn’t have a few of his own.

He hadn’t expected her to show. He’d wanted her to, hoped she would but he didn’t expect it.

Then her heard that laugh.

That deep, fluttering giggle he’d recognize anywhere.

The sound of it hits his ears and like magic he was back in the bed of his pick up with her, fantasizing about their future, all the adventures they’d have. They were gonna see the world together, go to college, have babies… get married. They’d planned their whole lives on nights like those, nights where it was just him and her, and the moon and the fireflies dancing in sync to the staticy music playing out of his old radio.

He almost didn’t turn to look at her, didn’t know if he could handle it to be honest. But he forced himself to, not wanting to be a coward.

Her hair is the first thing he sees. It’s shorter, straighter, more grown up, different from what he remembers but still familiar. He’d run his fingers through that hair so many times, he’d never be able to forget it. She’s not facing him but he knows that it’s her. He’ll always know her. He’ll always see her… even when she’s not there.

Ten years without her has proved that.

He can only see the back of her head, but it’s enough to make his heart clench with anticipation. Will she look different? Will she be different? What will she do when she sees him? Probably give him the slap he deserves. He’d earned that and so much more for what he’d done to her. For what he said. For God’s sake why won’t she turn around?

As if on cue, she turns on the heel of his last thought, spinning around to greet someone who’s walked up, revealing her beautiful face and unwittingly answering his first question.

Nothing’s changed about her.

She looks older. Her jawline is sharper, her smile lines are more defined as she grins and her lips bear a shade of lipstick she wouldn’t have dared to touch when they were together.

But even with all those things she’s still _her_. 

He still wants to drown in her chocolate colored eyes. He’d still make a fool of himself to bring out that bright, wide grin that resides on her face.

After all these years she’s still her, the same girl that he fell in love with.

Nothing has changed.

She spots him and he suddenly realizes that he’s staring at her. He wants to look away but he can’t. Instead he just offers her a weak, apathetic wave; too cowardly to do anything more, like walk over and hug her like he so desperately wants to.

Her smile dips a bit when she sees him, and he knows she’s remembering what he did, what he’d said to her. How hurtful he’d been. She masks it well, pulling her grin tighter, waving at him a little shyly but still enthusiastic, as if she’s happy to see him. She must’ve known that she would. She was in his bar after all.

An old member of the chess club suddenly appeared at the counter asking for a round of tequila shots, forcing him to tear his eyes away from her.

He spins around reaching for the cheap tequila from the bottom shelf, feeling every internal alarm he has go off inside him. His heart pounds as he pours the liquor into eight shot glasses, silently trying to calm himself down. He never drinks on the job, it pulls focus but fuck it, he needs something to settle his nerves.

Reaching under the counter he pulls out a ninth glass and pours a quick shot for himself. He downs it before turning around handing the tray to an old classmate who instantly disappears into the crowd. Once he’s walked off, Robin takes a deep breath and sneaks a glance to where saw her standing but she’s long gone.

His heart sinks at the thought of that being it. Ten years of regret and it passes by with a small wave, nothing more. Hardly a fitting ending to the story he’s built up in his head. 

“You always did look good behind the counter.”

A voice like whiskey reaches him and he knows that it’s _her_ , turns to see her sitting at the bar, hands folded expectantly against the counter, smiling at him like the minx he knows she is. 

A grin sneaks its way onto his face when he sees her up close. Still beautiful, still holding his heart.

“Hello, Regina.”

“Hi, Robin.”

Her greeting comes out softer than the line before it, and somehow he can tell it’s the first time she’s spoken his name in years. She looks him up and down as he walks over to her side of the bar, her gaze growing softer the closer he gets.

“What can I get you?” he says, leaning against the counter.

Her lips part, hesitating before she speaks. She lets out a nervous huff before bowing her head, looking back up and shrugging. “Bourbon, four glasses for the old gang.”

She tilts her head back toward the table and he sees her old friends staring at him, intently. He can’t help the small chuckle that comes out when he sees the three of them glaring at him. “So the Queens of Darkness all back in town? Never thought I’d see the day.”

Regina rolls her eyes but smiles. “We pull the coven together for special occasions,” she quips.

Robin knocks on the counter, turning away from her to pull his best bourbon off the top shelf. “So… heard you became a big shot lawyer?”

She nods, a bit of pride peeking through on her face. “Wouldn’t call myself a big shot but I got the degree, yes.”

“Good. I’m happy for you,” he says, offering her a genuine smile.

It wasn’t a lie. He was glad that she’d left this town behind. She’d always been meant for more, even when she couldn’t see it herself.

Tilting her head at him, she smiled. “You took over the Golden Arrow.”

Robin sighed, sheepishly nodding his head. “Yeah… fate caught up with me, I guess.”

“Your father would’ve been proud.”

He presses his lips together, stung by her comment. He’d heard it so many times in the last few years; it was never meant to be hurtful but it always left an ache.  

She notices the pain that goes across his face and turns somber. “I heard about him. I’m sorry.”

“It was a long time ago and we all saw it coming,” he mumbled.

His father had died barely a year after she’d left. Standing at that grave watching the only family he had left sink into the ground, he’d prayed that she’d show up… but she didn’t.

Regina stares at him, searchingly. “I heard you were married, too,” she said, softly.

He sees her eye the wedding band on his right hand. Still shiny as the day he’d first got it.

She pulls together a sad smile, dropping her eyes to the counter. “Looks like the rumours on that are true.”

“They were,” he swiftly corrects, regaining her attention. “I was married. Not anymore.”

“Oh.” 

Something passes across her brown eyes at his words. Something that looks like hope, relief or a number of other emotions he dares not to wish for.

Staring into her brown eyes, it feels like something opens back up between them. A possibility arises.

He sets her glasses of bourbon on a tray and passes it over to her. “It’s good to see you, Regina.”

She smiles at him tentatively. “Good to see you too Robin.”

Just like that she’s walking away from him, disappearing into the crowd… taking her heart with him, just like before.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**_10 years before..._ **

 

_ Regina always loved the nights in Storybrooke. During the day she would dream about running off to some big city, a place where the people were different and the streets were livelier where she could just be herself but at night she couldn’t imagine anywhere better to be than right where she was.  _

 

_ Laying down in the back of Robin’s pick up at the edge of the lake, hearing the sound of the crickets blend into the music from the radio and cuddling next to him for warmth. He was always so much warmer than her.  _

 

_ She intertwined her fingers with his and sighed as she looked up at the moon, suddenly wistful. “I can’t believe we only have three weeks before graduation.”  _

 

_ Robin’s chest swelled beneath her cheek as he sucked in a deep breath. “I know. Only few more weeks left and we’ll be out of here.”  _

 

_ “Off to start our lives in Cambridge,” she mumbled.  _

 

_ Without even looking up she knew he was grinning. “You can say Harvard Regina. It’s not a jinx.”  _

 

_ “You don’t know that,” she laughed, shaking her head. A soft, excited hiss escaped her. “I still can’t believe I got in.”  _

 

_ “Of course, you got in,” he said. “They would’ve been crazy not to take you.”  _

 

_ It had been three days since she’d gotten her acceptance letter. Seeing that big envelope with the Harvard crest it felt like her heart was gonna explode. She’d worked her whole life for this, busted her ass so she could have a chance to escape this town. Knowing that she’d actually succeeded… well, she couldn’t imagine a better feeling.  _

 

_ “You sure you still want to lug me along with you?” he joked.  _

 

_ Gently slapping his chest, she chuckled. “You say that like you didn’t get into UMass.”  _

 

_ He snickered running his hand along her spine. “I think we both know that was only possible because of you.”  _

 

_ She shrugged her shoulders humbly but they both knew it was true. Ever since they were kids he’d always had her to push him, dragging him to study halls with her, encouraging him to do better even when he didn’t think he could. He doubts he would’ve graduated high school without her, let alone gone to college. But here they are, on the edge of change feeling like they had the whole world at their fingertips. Maybe they did.  _

 

_ He taps her shoulder, suddenly curious. “Hey, did you get your class ring yet?”  _

 

_ Annoyed, she rolls her eyes. “Nope and I never will now.”  _

 

_ “What?” He sits up, his face twisting to show his skepticism. “Why not? What happened?”  _

 

_ Regina scoffed, shaking her head. “My mother never ordered it. She said it was a waste of money and I’d probably end up losing it.”  _

 

_ Robin grits his teeth, silently cursing Cora Mills to hell. He’d never liked Regina’s mother but hardly anyone in town did. She was always belittling her, or saying something condescending. When Regina had told her parents that she wanted to go to Harvard, Cora had been the first to say that it was damn near impossible. He couldn’t imagine that she felt good about being proven wrong.  _

 

_ Sighing he reached for his own hand. “Well that just won’t do.”  _

 

_ A grin appeared on Regina’s face when she saw him twisting off the class he’d only gotten the day before. “What are you doing, Robin?”  _

 

_ “Giving you a class ring,” he said, matter of factly. Taking her hand in his he slipped it onto her finger with ease. “There you go. Storybrooke High Class of ‘08.”  _

 

_ Regina smiled, softly laughing as she looked down at the gaudy golden ring he just placed on her finger, it’s manufactured ruby glistening in the moonlight.  _

 

_ “What about you?” she asked. “Don’t you want a class ring?”  _

 

_ “You’re valedictorian, you deserve one more than me,” he said shrugging his shoulders. “Besides this is just a loan anyway.”  _

 

_ She raised her eyebrows at him. “A loan?”  _

 

_ “Yes,” he hummed. “It’s only until your father can order you your own or…”  _

 

_ He trailed off, leaving her in suspense.  _

 

_ “Or?” she softly asked.  _

 

_ He looked her at her, sincerity sparkling in his blue eyes. “Or until I can replace it with something better.”  _

 

_ Deep inside, Regina felt her heart flutter. Gently, she reached out to rest her hand against his cheek, a breathless smile on her face. “I love you, Robin.”  _

 

_ “I love you Regina.”  _

\---------------------

 

Making her way through the bar Regina’s heart pounded in her chest. She sucked in a deep breath through her nose, hoping it would help steady her hands as she carried a tray of drinks back to where her friends waited. 

 

She still couldn’t believe that she saw him. 

 

She knew that she would. She’d planned on it, in fact, but she still couldn’t believe she’d seen him. That she’d stood across from him like that and just talked. 

 

Robin Locksely. 

 

The stupid fucking love of her stupid fucking life. She couldn’t believe that she’d just seen him. She couldn’t believe that he’d just stood there and talked to her like it was nothing, like it was easy. 

 

And she definitely didn’t believe that he couldn’t believe that he’d had the audacity to look that goddamn good. 

 

He’d always been attractive, she knew that, but time had been unfairly good to him over the last decade. He’d filled out since the last time she saw him, his biceps looking stronger than she remembered. His chin had lost the tiny bit of baby fat that he had at graduation and replaced it with a healthy layer of scruff that she couldn’t help but imagine running across her skin. The only thing that remained the same were his eyes. 

 

Those deep blue eyes that she thought held her entire world when she was a girl. 

 

Her knees had gone weak at the sight of them, at the sight of him behind that bar smiling at her, just like he used to. Reminding of her what it used to feel like back when she actually thought he loved her. 

 

Finally reaching her friends she set the tray on the table before sinking into her seat.Training her eyes on the glasses of bourbon in front of her she didn’t even need to look up to feel the judgement coming at her from all sides. 

 

Over the music, she heard someone clear their throat. Sucking in a deep breath, she looked up to find her friend, Mallory, with a glass of bourbon in her hand, looking at her with a tight, close-lipped smile on her face.  

 

Regina sighed. “Yes, Mal?” 

 

Mal took set her hands against table before speaking. “Well, the girls and I were watching your little encounter and we noticed something.” 

 

“What did you notice Mal?” said Regina, reaching for a glass of her own and offering up a wry smile. 

 

“We noticed you weren’t kicking his ass!” barked her friend Ursula. Sitting next to Regina, she shook her head before grabbing a bourbon. “I took time off work to see that throw down” 

 

“You took time off work because you hate your job,” deadpanned Carlotta, already sipping her drink. 

 

“I can be here for two reasons,” argued Ursula. 

 

Regina smirked, listening to them banter. She knew they were disappointed but sitting at the table with them felt just like old times. Mal, Ursula and Carlotta were her oldest friends in the world. She’d met them in high school, they’d kept in touch all through college and by a stroke of luck they’d all ended up in Boston afterwards. These women were her lifeline. 

 

They were also the first ones she called when Robin broke her heart. 

 

“You didn’t confront him?” asked Mal, leaning forward on the table. “After all this time? I thought that’s what you wanted.” 

 

“Well I change my mind,” said Regina, lifting her glass to down all the bourbon in one gulp. 

 

Ursula pursed her lips, unconvinced. “You mean he flashed his baby blues and you went weak.” 

 

Carlotta hummed in agreement, raising her glass. “He smiled and you melted, didn’t you?” 

 

Regina glowered at them, pissed that they could read her so easily. “It’s not like that,” she lied. “I just… it’s been ten years. And what he did was shitty but I am not gonna be the crazy one at this reunion who freaks out on a guy she hasn’t spoken to in a decade. I’m better than that. Plus I’m over it. I’m over him.” 

 

Mal stared at her, the doubt evident in her blue eyes. “Really? You’re over him?” 

 

Setting her glass down harder than she intended, she stares defiantly into Mal’s eyes. “Absolutely. One hundred percent.” 

 

Mal shakes her head with a smirk but remains silent. 

 

Put off Regina sighs before adding, “I have more important things in my life than Robin, you know that.” 

 

It’s enough to get Mal to soften her judgement, tilting her head she concedes, “Fine, but I still think he should burn in a ditch.” 

 

Regina chuckles. “Noted.” 

 

Her phone buzzes in her pocket and she pulls it out to see her father’s ID. 

 

“I gotta take this,” she mumbles before slipping away from the table. 

 

Raising the phone to her ear, she finds a quiet corner near the bathroom to answer her father’s call. 

 

“Hi daddy,” she whispers, a smile creeping onto her face. “Is everything okay?” 

 

“Everything’s fine,” she hears him assure her. “I just wanted to check on you. How’s the reunion going? Catching up with old friends?” 

 

A small huff escapes her. “More like old ghosts,” she mumbles. Changing the subject, she asks. “How’s Henry doing?” 

 

“He’s good as always,” says her father, and she can practically hear his smile through the phone. He was so pleased the day he realized he was getting a namesake. 

 

“He’s grown so much since I saw him last.” 

 

Regina chuckles softly. “Yeah, well he better be. He’s practically eating me out of house and home.” 

 

“He’s nine years old Regina. I wouldn’t expect anything different,” her father replies. 

 

They chat for a minute more, her father double-checking Henry’s bedtime before letting her go. Pulling the phone from her ear she peacefully sighs, reminded that despite how she once felt about him the man standing behind the bar tonight was not the love of her life. 

 

That title went to her son. 

Her beautiful, nine-year-old son. 


	3. Chapter 3

**_10 years before…_ **

_ Rushing down the street, Robin kept a tight grip on the garment bag he’d thrown over his shoulder. He’d just picked up his cap and gown for the graduation ceremony and he couldn’t keep the smile off his face. One more week and he’d finally graduate from high school.  _

_ Though a part of him was feeling nostalgic about Storybrooke, more of him was excited about all the things to come once he left. He’d be going to college. It was just a state school, barely two hours from the town where he grew up but still he was the first in his family to go. His dad couldn’t be more proud of him, saying so whenever he got the chance.  _

_ He just hoped his father was equally excited about the next big step he’d be taking.  _

_ Robin knew they were young, he knew it was crazy but he also knew there would be no girl more made for him than Regina Mills. She was smart and funny, sexy as the devil. But most importantly she made him want to be better than he was. Every time he looked into her brown eyes all he could think about was how much he wanted to give her the world.  _

_ That’s why he wanted to marry her.  _

_ He was going to ask her after graduation. While everyone else celebrated he’d steal her away, take her to the lake where they spent their nights, get down on one knee and ask her to spend the rest of their lives together.  _

_ He knew he should be more nervous, that he should be more worried about what she would say, what their futures would look like but he wasn’t. Everytime he thought about it, he just felt more certain. Regina Mills was his future.  _

_ He just hoped his father agreed.  _

_ Walking through the door of the family bar, he found the place empty as ever but that was unsurprising for a Thursday afternoon.  _

_ “You’re late.”  _

_ A voice called out from behind the bar and he saw his father standing there wiping down glasses. Practically a mirror of his son, they both carried the same sandy brown hair and dimpled cheeks, the only difference being the stern look the older man had etched onto his face.  _

_ “Pretty sure they won’t teach punctuality at college,” he chided.  _

_ “That’s okay,” replied Robin, shrugging his shoulders, a grin still on his face. “I’ve still got plenty of time to learn it from you.”  _

_ His father tried to remain stern but his face cracked into a smile at his son’s wit.  _

_ Robert Locksely was a hard, sturdy man who could melt at any moment. He’d gone to war, been through hell, could handle himself in a fight and wasn’t afraid of anything or anyone. He was also the first person to laugh at a stupid pun and the last to lift his hand in violence unless necessary. Growing up Robin couldn’t have asked for a better father.  _

_ “Sorry I’m late, dad,” he apologized. “I had to pick up my cap and gown.”  _

_ “Oh yeah?” Robert smiles. “How’s it look?”  _

_ “Exactly the same as everyone else’s,” says Robin, rolling his eyes and taking a seat at the bar. “Just like a blue garbage bag.”  _

_ “Well I’ll be taking fifty pictures of you in that garbage bag just so you know,” said Robert.    
_

_ Throwing his head back, Robin groaned. “Really dad? C’mon…”  _

_ “Hell yeah I’m taking pictures,” he replied, a grin appearing on his face. “It’s your high school graduation. I won’t get another chance to be this proud of you until you graduate college. And on that day I’m taking even more pictures.”  _

_ Flashing his dimples, Robin laughed at his father’s pride. He might joke about it but it felt good to see his Dad in such good spirits. He’d been more than a little lethargic lately.  _

_ Reaching for another glass, Robert let out a wistful breath. “You know your mother would’ve been so happy to know you were going to school.”  _

_ “I know,” Robin softly agreed, turning a little solemn.  _

_ His mother had died when he was ten years old. Car accident on a rainy night, there’d been no one to blame but fate. When it happened he’d felt like his whole world shattered. He’d had no idea how they were gonna make it but his father had kept things together. Made sure the house was still running, that the bar was okay and still somehow finding the time to make sure Robin knew that he could always count on him. He’d never understand how he’d been able to do all that.  _

_ Clearing his throat, wiped his palms against his jeans. “Speaking of Mom, I kinda wanted to talk to you about something.”  _

_ Stifling a cough, Robert raised his eyebrows curiously. “Oh yeah?”  _

_ “Yeah,” said Robin. “I’ve been doing some thinking about me and my future and I…”  _

_ He trailed off, knitting his eyebrows together curiously as his father launched into a coughing fit. “Dad are you alright?”  _

_ Robert waved him off still coughing into the sleeve of his shirt. “I’m fine son. What did you want to… talk about?”  _

_ He pressed for his son to continue but Robin just watched wide-eyed as his father’s coughing fit grew worse, shaking his whole body, echoing through the bar.  “Dad?”  _

_ Still coughing and gasping for air Robert just shook his head before falling to his knees behind the bar, his mouth still smothered into the crook of his arm. In a flash Robin was out of his seat, running behind the bar to kneel at his father’s side. Concern in his eyes, he rested a hand on his father’s back waiting for his fit to subside.  _

_ “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice soft with fear. Kneeling next to him, he took a good look at his father face, taking in details that had previously gone unnoticed. Details like the dark circles under his eyes and the thinness of his cheeks. Rubbing his hand down his father’s back he realized that his shoulders bone felt more prominent than they used to do.  _

_ “I’m alright Robin. I’m fine,” his father said in a gravelly voice, as he lowered his arm.  _

_ But Robin wasn’t listening to him. He was too busy staring at the crook of his father’s arm. At the patches of blood that had started to sink into the fabric of his shirt. For a moment he thought his father must’ve cut himself on the counter. Then he realized… the blood was there because he coughed it up.  _

_ His father looked up at him, his blue eyes screaming with guilt and sadness.  _

_ Throat growing tight, Robin spoke, his voice coming out small and scared. “...Dad?”  _

_ “Son there is, uh, there’s something I should tell you.”  _

\------------------------------

David Nolan had loved high school. 

It wasn’t the best time of his life but he’d be lying if he said it hadn’t ranked pretty high. He’d been captain of the football team, had dozens of friends and even met the love of his life in his freshman math class. 

For all these reasons and more, he’d been psyched for the reunion. It was a chance to catch up with all his old friends and relive some of the glory days. Last night’s kick-off event at the bar had been a success and he was looking forward to the women vs. men softball event taking place that day. 

Of course, he couldn’t say the same for his cousin Robin. 

Even from across the room he’d seen what happened. Regina Mills, ghost of ex-girlfriends past, had materialized right in his cousin’s face. 

He had to admit he was surprised. From what he’d heard Regina had a decent life in Boston and he hadn’t expected her to come back to town ever, let alone for their high school reunion. After what happened between her Robin who could blame her. 

A part of him still couldn’t believe that Robin had been so stupid as to let her go but it made sense. 

The two of them hadn’t exactly been close growing up or in high school but after his Uncle Robert sick things changed. He and his parents had done everything possible to make things easier for Robin and his father. Then when he died, they were all he had left. 

It was after Robert’s funeral that Robin revealed what he’d done. He’d been piss drunk that night, crying, mourning his father and wishing for the one person in the world who might’ve actually been able to make him feel better. Shame, he’d already pushed her away by then. When the morning came and his sobriety return David tried to convince him to go after her but Robin stone solid in his resolve. It was too late. 

And he could only imagine what seeing her must’ve felt like the night before. 

After everyone had left and the bar had closed up he’d tried to talk to him about but Robin refused. He just said things were what they were and that he didn’t want to go to the softball game the next day. He’d said there was no point. 

He’d still allowed them to take Roland along though.

As he and his wife, Mary-Margaret, pulled up to the softball field he smiled back at his six-year-old “nephew” in the backseat. “Alright buddy! Are you ready for the game?” 

His question yielded immediate cheers from Roland and Mary-Margaret, both of them shaking the poms in their hand colored with Storybrooke team colors.

The three of them exited the car to find the softball field teeming with alumni all dressed in their high school colors. David immediately spotted a few of his old buddies stretching out on the field preparing for the game. Hand over his head, he waved to them not watching where he was going. Out of nowhere another body crashed into his. 

Immediately he started to apologize profusely before realizing who he’d run into. 

“Regina,” he breathed, staring down at her. 

“David,” she mumbled looking back at him, surprised. “Um… good to see you.” 

He softly agreed, leaning down to give her an awkward hug hello. Releasing her, he let out a stiff breath as Mary-Margaret greeted her with an enthusiastic hello. While they shared a much more relaxed hug, David looked her over silently noting that age agreed with her. She looked different, older but even more beautiful than before. Happier even. 

“So…” she ventured, gesturing toward the two of them. “I heard you guys got married. Congratulations. I’m not surprised at all.” 

“Nobody was,” laughed Mary-Margaret, beaming up at her husband. They’d been together since freshman year and had been connected at the hip all through high school. When they’d gotten married two years after graduation all anyone had said was that “it was about damn time.” 

“I am surprised to see your son though. Nobody told me about that,” she said smiling down at Roland, who shyly ducked behind his uncle’s leg. 

“Oh,” mumbled David, reaching down to lift Roland up and set him on his hip. “He’s not ours. He’s uh…” 

“He’s Robin’s son,” Mary-Margaret stated, trying to rip off the band-aid as quickly as possible. 

As soon as Robin’s name was mentioned, he saw her go breathless. Her lips parting in awe, as her eyes widened taking another look at the six-year-old in his arms. He knew she was noticing the dimples in his cheeks and the curl of his hair, the only attributes his father could rightly claim. 

“Oh, well, that explains why nobody told me.” She tries to laugh it off but it’s clear she’s become uncomfortable. Possibly, even a little hurt. 

As if things couldn’t get more awkward, a wave of boldness suddenly strikes his nephew. 

“You know my Daddy?” he asks. 

Regina forces a smile to her before nodding. “I did… a long, long time ago.” 

The group is silent for a beat, all three of them unsure on how to proceed now that Robin’s name has been mentioned. Thankfully, his wife gracefully takes the lead. 

“So how have you been?” she asks Regina. “I heard you moved to Boston.” 

“I did,” said Regina, nodding enthusiastic. “It just felt like the best place to be after I graduated college. I found a job in the city and things are going pretty well right now.” 

“That’s good,” replies David, genuinely pleased to hear that she’s doing well. Knowing that she’s alright helps to assuage some the vicarious guilt swelling up in his chest. “Is there anything else new going on with you?” 

A smile spreads across Regina’s face. “Well…” 

“Mom!” 

As if out of nowhere a boy runs up and joins their group. Immediately Regina wraps her arm around his shoulders. “Hey now what’s the rush?” 

A grin appears on Mary-Margaret’s face. “Mom? Oh my god, is this your son?” 

“Yes he is,” said Regina, nodding her head proudly. “This is Henry.” 

“Oh like after your father,” David says, looking down at him curiously. 

Regina’s son waves up at them and says hello, clearly a little bit bored. He’s got the same black hair as her with a pair of round hazel eyes and an angular nose. Already reaching her hip, he’s pretty tall for his age which David assumes is older than Roland.  Taller than any other kid at the field, in fact. 

Looking up at his mother, he asks. “Can I have five dollars for the snack bar? I want a hot dog.” 

“Sure I’ll go with you,” she says. 

Henry looks up at her, an almost preteen look of annoyance on his face. “You don’t have to come with me, you know. I’m nine-years-old, I can make it to the snack bar and back on my own.” 

Regina’s jaw drops in feigned shock. “For the record mister, I am coming because I want an ice cream cone. Not everything’s about you,” she quips, sending a wink his way. 

“Okay,” laughs Henry, rolling his eyes, clearly not believing her. 

Still chuckling, she pats his shoulder before turning back to her old friends. “Well I gotta go. It was good to see you guys.” 

“Good to see you too,” David mumbled, the gears in his head slowly turning. 

Watching them walk off Mary-Margaret hums thoughtfully. “They look cute together.” 

“Yeah they do…” he mumbled. Turning to his wife, he curiously tilts his head. “How old did Henry just say he was?” 

“He said he was nine,” she said nonchalantly. Her smile dips as the math suddenly hits. “Oh my god… he said he was nine.” 

“Nine,” David repeats, feeling his heart start to race.

Their eyes widen at the same time and he knows that they’ve come to the same conclusion. As calmly as possible he passes Roland off to her and tells her to find a seat in the bleachers while he makes a quick phone call. 

He’s certain that he’s never dialed a number as fast he dials Robin. After three long rings his cousin finally picks up. 

“Hey Robin, look I know you didn’t want to come to the game but you have to get down here…. I know that you don’t want to see her but you have to…. Because she showed up here with a son and I think he might be yours.” 


	4. Chapter 4

**_10 years before…_ **

_ Sitting on the bed of his truck Robin stared out at the lake, watching the moon’s reflection shimmer across its surface. Three days ago he’d sat in this exact same spot feeling like the whole world was his oyster. Now his world was shattered.  _

_ “Stage 4 lung cancer,” he croaked out. “It’s already in both his lungs now.”  _

_ “Robin… I’m so sorry.”  _

_ He feels Regina place her arms around his shoulders pulling him closer. Sucking in a deep breath, he wills himself not to cry. He’s done more than enough of that today. Hadn’t been able to stop since his father had told him the truth.  _

_ He can’t help it. He’s so angry… and heartbroken. At his father for dying and keeping it from him. At the universe for daring to steal another parent from him. But also, because he knows the future he’d planned has vanished, right before his eyes.  _

_ “There’s nothing he can do? Chemo?” asks Regina, her eyes already starting to water.  _

_ “It’s too late for that,” Robin replies. “All the doctors said it’s basically a waiting game now so…”  _

_ He hears her let out a painful sigh. Regina had always loved his father. They were always able to make each other laugh and smile. Robin was almost certain that his father loved her a little more than he loved him, not that he’d ever blame him.    
_

_ Blowing out a shuddering breath, Robin shakes his head. “I can’t leave now.”    
_

_ He feels her go still at his side, no longer rubbing those comforting circles on his back. Turning his head, he sees her staring up at him with her big brown eyes. She presses her lips together and he knows she’s trying not to cry as much as he is.  _

_ “What about school?” she whispers, hoarsely.  _

_ He shrugs. “It’ll just have to wait. I just can’t leave him now and I can’t go to school everyday wondering if when I come back…”  _

_ He trails off, unable to speak when his throat goes tight at the thought of his father dying while he’s miles away. That couldn’t happen. He couldn’t let it.  _

_ Regina nodded, understandingly. “It’s okay, I get it.  We’ll just put off school for a while.”  _

_ “We?” Robin knits his eyebrows at her, surprised. “You… you would stay with me?”  _

_ Staring at her with wide eyes, his question comes out soft and hesitant. They’d spent so many nights dreaming of their future, making plans. He’d seen how hard she’d worked, late nights studying and weekends on extracurriculars. There was nothing she wanted more than to get out of this town. He knew he had to put his dreams on hold but he hadn’t thought for one second that she’d be willing to stay with him.  _

_ “Of course, I’m staying Robin,” she says, pulling him closer. “Something like this… you can’t go through it alone.”  _

_ “What about Harvard?”  _

_ “It’ll always be there,” she easily replies, with a shrug. “I’ll just defer a year and stay here with you. We’ll take care of your dad together.”  _

_ “You’d do that for me?”  _

_ “I’d do anything for you Robin, you know that,” she says, reaching up to wipe a tear from his cheek. “I love you.”  _

_ “I love you too.”  _

_ He probably should’ve gone home that night. He knew his father was waiting, would probably fall asleep in the chair waiting for him to come home but he didn’t want to leave the lake yet. When he did he’d have to start confronting all the problems in his future. And at that moment all he wanted to focus on was the present.  _

_ He spent all night in the back of his truck with his arms wrapped tight around the girl he loved, thankful that even as the rest of his world went to shit he still had her.  _

\----------------

 

Pulling up to the softball field, Robin clenched his jaw nervously. 

The game was well underway by the time he parked his truck by the field. He could see throngs of his old classmates on the field and in the bleachers cheering for the players as they ran their bases. Climbing out of his car, he tried to shove down his irritation at the fact he was there. He hadn’t wanted to come. Seeing Regina had been hard enough the night before, he didn’t want to chance a repeat, he wasn’t that much of a masochist. 

He should’ve stayed home as planned but then David had called with his conspiracy theory. Robin rolled his eyes at the thought of it. The idea that Regina had hidden a son from him, it was ludicrous. Just the type of rumor you’d expect coming to a high school reunion, and it annoyed him to no end that he was the subject. 

And yet, his cousin had seemed so adamant that he come, even leveraging Roland’s pick up in his demands. David and Mary-Margaret were supposed to drop Roland off after the game was finished but now they claimed to have plans with old friends so he’d need to pick up his son at the field. It was pure manipulation and he was going to call them on it the first chance he got. 

Naturally, he spotted David in the dugout waiting for his turn at bat. His cousin had been such a jock in high school, Robin had no doubt he was using this reunion to relive that glory. 

Approaching the fence near the dugout, he let out a two-tone whistle attracting David’s attention. The sound of a bat striking a ball rang through the air and the crowd roared in excitement as his cousin walked over to him, adjusting his baseball cap. 

Robin got straight to the point. “Where’s Roland?” 

“In the bleachers with Mary-Margaret.” 

“Thanks,” he replied, immediately turning around to walk away. 

“Hey!” David shouted, incredulously throwing up his hands. “Are you serious?” 

Robin turned back to him, annoyed. “What?” 

“You’re really not going to ask about the kid?” 

“No David, I’m not going to ask about Regina’s kid,” he sighed. “Because despite what you assumed… he’s not mine.” 

“You don’t know that,” said David, shaking his head. 

“I do, actually,” insisted Robin. “He couldn’t be.” 

David leaned over the fence, narrowing his eyes at him. “Really? Because from what you told me he absolutely could be.  I mean… she was your first right?” 

Robin glared at him, irritated that he was even entertaining this conversation. Yes, Regina had been his first. He still remembered that night like it was yesterday, the two of them in the back of his truck still reeling from the news of his father’s diagnosis. It was branded in his memories. He’d never forget. 

“You got to admit the timing adds up,” David pointed out. “The kid’s nine years old, we’re at a ten year reunion.” 

“Well maybe you misheard,” said Robin, shrugging his shoulders. “Look, I’m not gonna talk about this with you anymore. He’s not my kid.” 

“How do you know?”    


“Because I know she wouldn’t do that to me!” Robin snapped. “Regina wouldn’t have hid that from me. She just… wouldn’t have.” 

David stared at him, sympathetic. He remembered seeing Robin and Regina together. The love between them, the trust. If you’d have told him ten years ago that they wouldn’t be together in the future he never would’ve believed it. Same way his cousin still couldn’t believe it now. 

“Maybe you’re right Robin,” he mumbled. “Maybe she wouldn’t have hid it from you… normally. But you were going through a lot back then, with your dad and not going to school. And after all the stuff you said at graduation… would you blame her if she did hide it?” 

Robin gritted his teeth, his mind going back to that fateful moment when he’d made possibly the worst decision of his life. The look in her eyes as she’d stared at him, helpless and heartbroken. He hadn’t hurt someone as badly before, or ever again. 

Even so… she wouldn’t have hid something like this from him. She just… wouldn’t. 

“I’ve have to get Roland,” he mumbled. “Good luck with your game.” 

He turned away, leaving his exasperated cousin at the field. God, this reunion was a nightmare. He couldn’t wait until it was over. 

Heading towards, the bleachers he tried to push the images of pregnant teen loves and secret children out of his head. He found Mary-Margaret cheering near the front of the crowd. When asked about Roland, she told him that he’d headed off with a new young friend to play a round of catch near the outer field. 

He spotted his son just near the edge of the field just where Mary-Margaret said he was, a mitt over his hand tossing a ball between himself and an older kid. 

A grin spread across Roland’s face when he saw his father appear. “Daddy!” 

Robin plastered on a smile for his son as he walked over. “Hey buddy! How’s it going?” 

“Good!” said Roland, waving his mitt. “I made a new friend!” 

“Oh yeah?” 

Robin eyed the older boy standing next to his son. He was tall, much taller than Roland, with floppy dark hair and hazel green eyes. He acknowledged Robin with a skeptical smile and half-hearted wave, clearly disappointed that Roland might be leaving. 

“Hi there,” said Robin, offering him a smile. “Who are you?” 

“I’m Henry… Henry Mills.” 


	5. Chapter 5

**_10 Years Before…_ **

 

_ “You can’t be serious.” _

 

_ Mal sat on the edge of her bed, her blue eyes wide with disbelief as she watched Regina dig through her closet.  _

 

_ Regina sighed, still not turning around, unable to look her best friend in the eye. She knew that Mal would be disappointed. Harvard had been their plan, their dream for years, ever since they were kids. They were always supposed to get the best grades, earn the best scholarships and ride off to Cambridge where Regina’s manipulative mother and Mal’s abusive stepfather couldn’t reach them anymore. Freedom through intellect. That had always been the plan… and now she was bailing.  _

 

_ Gathering her courage she finally turned around. “I’m sorry Mal… but his father’s dying. What else am I supposed to do?”  _

 

_ “Tell him to wait!” Mal’s blonde hair fell past her ear, as she desperately through her hands in the air. “Come to Harvard, visit on weekends, call him every day and check up…”  _

 

_ “It’s not the same as being here Mal and you know it.” Regina tiredly shook her head. “I can’t leave him. Not now.”  _

 

_ The anger and indignation was clear on Mal’s face as she crossed her arms and looked away. There was no point in arguing, she’d realized that. And years of planning had gone down the drain. Regina bit her lips before moving to sit next to her best friend. She stays silent for a moment, staring down towards the floor at her bare feet next to Mal’s weathered tennis shoes.  _

 

_ “Please don’t be mad at me,” she whispered.  _

 

_ “I’m not mad,” Mal replied, shaking her head. Worry was clear in her eyes as she looked over at Regina. “But what are you gonna do? Are you gonna stay in this house with your mother?”  _

 

_ “Of course not,” said Regina, her eyes glancing toward the door, silently worried that her mother might be listening through the wood. “I have money saved, two grand. I’ll get a place in town or stay with Robin.”  _

 

_ Mal rolled her eyes. “And do what? Go to community college and waitress on the side?”  _

 

_ “A lot of people go to community college.”  _

 

_ “Not people as smart as you,” Mal reminded her. “Not people who can have Harvard.”  _

 

_ Regina sighed, unable to come up with a reply. Going to that two building community college up the road had been her biggest fear for so long, it actually haunted her nightmares but now she had something scarier to worry about. Not being there for Robin when his father died.  _

 

_ “You’re actually gonna do this… for him?”  _

 

_ “Yeah,” she breathed. “I love him. And this is what you do for people you love. You sacrifice.”  _

 

_ Mal nodded in acceptance, sighing as she leaned over to rest her chin on Regina’s shoulder. “You won’t leave me up there by myself for long, will you?”  _

 

_ “Of course not, we have plans,” whispered Regina, leaning her head against her friend’s. “I may love Robin but you and I gonna rule the world one day, and there’s no one I’d rather do that with.”  _

 

\-----------------------

 

Regina adjusted her baseball cap as she stood on the bleacher, cheering for Ursula as she ran up to bat. Next to her, Mal had her hands cupped around her mouth as she shouted, encouraging the women to destroy the men on the field. The game had just entered its third inning with the boys ahead and the two of them sat in the front row of the bleachers, just like they had in high school. 

 

Despite her reluctance to even attend this weekend, Regina had to admit that it was easier than she thought to get wrapped up in the nostalgia of it all. Especially when she heard Mal yelling with same unnecessary ferocity as she did in high school. Regina chuckled, sitting back down as her old friend ordered the women to rip the men apart before she hopped onto the diamond to do it herself. 

 

Not many people could say they’d been friends with someone their whole life, but she and Mal were they exception. They’d met on the first day of kindergarten. A group of kids had cornered Mal, teasing her about her old, beaten clothes and cheap shoes. Regina had told them off and she and Mal had friends ever since. They were always each other’s first call. When Mal realized that she was a lesbian in the eighth grade Regina had been the first one she told. And when Regina had gotten her heart broken, it was Mal who’d convinced her that she’d get past it. They’d gotten each other through everything. And they would get each other through this weekend. 

 

Mal plopped into the seat next to her, still giggling with glee. “God, I missed going to softball games!” 

 

“I can see that.” Regina shook her head, amused. “You know I truly fear what will happen if one of your future kids is an athlete.” 

 

Grinning wickedly, Mal tilted her head in thought. “Yeah, they’ll be far less embarrassed if they pick up an instrument instead.” 

 

Regina smirked at the thought of Mal whooping it up as some junior cello competition. She knew Mal had been looking into becoming a mother for a while now and personally, she couldn’t be more thrilled. It was something Mal had wanted since she’d made partner at her law firm and she’d always been so good with Henry. Regina had no doubt that Mal would make an excellent mother. 

 

“Speaking of children,” said Mal. “Where’s yours?” 

 

Regina gestured toward the edge of the outfield where her son was playing catch. “He’s over there. I think he’s teaching Roland how to throw.” 

 

Mal narrowed her eyes, trying to get a better look at her godson and the little boy he was playing catch with. She took one look at the smaller boy’s curly hair and raised her eyebrows, intrigued. “Oh… That’s Robin’s son?” 

 

Regina licked her lips before nodding. “Yes. He’s six.” 

 

“Cute,” replied Mal. She paused before asking, “And does that mean his father is nearby?” 

 

“No,” Regina swiftly answered. “He came with David and Mary-Margaret, who are just as sickeningly in love as they were in high school, just so you know.” 

 

“Unsurprising,” said Mal, with a smirk. “But it’s unfortunate Robin isn’t here. I thought you’d be itching to see him again after last night.” 

 

Regina bristled at her assumption. “Now why would I want to do that?” 

 

“Because you still want to talk to him,” she replied. “You still  _ need _ to talk to him.” 

 

“There’s nothing left to say,” she mumbled, shaking her head. “It’s been ten years, we have both moved on.” 

 

“Have you now?” Mal rested her chin in her hand, staring at her with inquiring blue eyes. “There’s no reason to talk to him at all?” 

 

Regina glared at her but remained silent. Over the years, Mal had always insisted that what happened between her and Robin still haunted her, that she needed to confront him, let everything out, the whole truth. Until she did she’d never be able to let it go. 

 

“What’s the point, Mal?” she said, shrugging her shoulder. “Do you think after ten years, we’ll just have one talk and everything will be forgiven? That all the pain from the past will wash away and I’ll just fall into his arms again? I don’t want to be with him anymore, Mal. And even if I did, I have a son to consider. The whole scenario isn’t even worth the energy it takes to fantasize about it.” 

 

Mal sighed, straightening her back. She’d driven Regina into a rant and knew well enough not to push further. “Fine don’t talk to him but for the record, I don’t buy for a second that he wasn’t part of the reason you came back to town.” 

 

“He wasn’t,” Regina said, trying to put as much conviction in her voice as possible. “I came to meet up with old friends and visit with my father. I will be perfectly happy if I go this whole weekend without seeing Robin Locksely again.” 

 

Still looking towards the outfield, a grin broke out on Mal’s face as she started to laugh. Regina narrowed her eyes. “Why are you laughing?” 

 

“Because nothing ever works out for you,” she replied, pointing toward the field. 

 

Regina followed her finger, her eyes widening when she saw Robin Locksely shaking hands with her son. 

 

“Oh… damn it.” 


	6. Chapter 6

**_10 years before…_ **

_Shoving his hands into his pockets, Robin grasped at the ring box that had been burning a hole in his jeans for days. He restrained himself from taking another look inside for the hundredth time. There wasn’t enough time before Regina came downstairs._

_The ring he had wasn’t fancy but it was special. His dad had given it to his mom when they’d gotten engaged. A simple silver band with a small diamond, inner inscription that read to my heart. His father had given it to him when he’d finally found the guts to say that he wanted to marry Regina. He’d expected his father to fight him more, but he’d just gone to his old lockbox to get the ring._

_“Girl like her deserves something pretty,” he’d said. “And I doubt you’d be able to get it yourself given what I pay you.”_

_A part of Robin was sure that his father was just grateful he’d still be around to see him get engaged, possibly even married. Ever since he’d learned about the cancer, he’d started to notice just how badly his father was doing. His breathing was strained after just the tiniest bit of exertion, his chest rattled when he coughed and some days it looked painful for him just to wake up. He had no idea how he was gonna get through this. Thank god, he had Regina._

_He hadn’t been sure about her pushing back school but she’d been a godsend these past few days. Doing research on hospice care and ways to make sure his dad was comfortable. There wasn’t much she could do but just being there was enough. Especially today._

_He’d talked his dad into letting them meet up with his doctor so they could get a better idea of what was to come. Regina already had a list of questions she wanted to ask._

_He heard the sound of her feet coming down the stairs, before the door opened and she stepped out. She smiled at him, nervously. “Hey… you ready?”_

_He shrugged his shoulders, unsure that he could answer her honestly. “I guess so. Kind of just want it to be over with.”_

_“I know,” she said, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly. “But it’s good to have all the facts. It can be helpful.”_

_He nodded, knowing she was right. She was always right._

_“You ready?”_

_“Yeah…” she drawled, suddenly patting her pockets. “Shoot, I forgot my phone upstairs. Can you take my purse to the car, I’ll be right back.”_

_He nodded, taking her bag as she ran back up the stairs. Climbing back into his truck, he tossed it onto the passenger seat - a decision that, unbeknownst to him, would shape his entire future._

_The purse fell over the edge of the seat, spilling all its contents onto the floor below. As he leaned over the dash to pick everything up a letter caught his eye. The bright red Harvard logo on the corner piqued his interest and his gaze fell down to the words below._

**_“To Miss Regina Mills_ **

 

**_We regret to inform you that your request for deferment has been denied. Should you decide not to enroll for the coming year a spot will not be held nor guaranteed for the subsequent year…”_ **

_His heart pounded in his ears._

_He looked at the date. She’d gotten this letter at least two days ago, hadn’t said a word._

_He couldn’t believe this._

_She was giving up Harvard… for him. Her future, her dream._

_Reminding himself to breathe, he shoved the letter back into her purse just before she came through the door for the second time. As she climbed in the truck and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, he tried to swallowed the bile rising in the back of his throat. The letter echoed in his head the whole way to the doctors and a little bit after. The ring in his pocket suddenly felt like a brick, an anchor even._

_He couldn’t let her give up Harvard._

_He just… couldn’t._

\--------------------

It’s surreal.

He’s standing there on the edge of a baseball diamond with his son on his hip, looking into the eyes of a boy who might be his son. The boy reaches out to shake his hand and it’s like the world comes to a standstill. He’s staring. Even with the two of them being face to face, he knows he’s staring but it’s hard not to. It’d been so easy do deny the possibility when it’d was just a talk between him and David but now - with the actual boy in front of him - he can’t stop looking at his face, searching for pieces of himself.

Stumbling over the rock lodged firmly in his throat, he finally managed to speak. “You’re Regina’s son?”

“Yeah, that’s my mom,” Henry said, beaming proudly. Looking over Robin’s shoulder, he added, “Here she comes.”

Swiveling his head to look behind him, Robin saw his high school girlfriend rapidly approaching. For the second time in less than thirty hours he was smacked in the face with nostalgia. She rushed toward them, the roots of her black hair tucked beneath a baseball cap the same red color of her Storybrooke High tee shirt, paired with jean shorts and old tennis shoes. The sight of her in such an outfit took him back to the years when they would come out to this very baseball diamond, screaming for Mal as she played on the softball field, sneaking underneath the bleachers for kisses. He shook the memory from his head, forcing himself to offer up an awkward wave.

“Regina… hi.”

“Hi,” she mumbled, sending him a forced smiled as she shoved her hands in her pocket. Two run-ins less than 48 hours. Ten years without so much as a glance and suddenly she was everywhere. “I see you’ve met my son.”

“I have,” he drawled, turning back to look at Henry. Tilting his head, he briefly wondered if his shade of hazel eyes were a match for his mother’s or if he was remembering that wrong. They certainly didn’t come from Regina’s side that was clear. They were nowhere near the deep brown that she - along with her mother and father - carried.

Henry walked over to his mother’s side and she wrapped her arm around his shoulders. Nodding toward Roland, she remarked, “I met your son too… he’s cute.” 

That sparked an easy smile for him as he turned to six year-old who was brightly flashing his dimples. “Yeah… I think so.”

An awkward silence fell over them as the crowd cheered in the distance. Regina looked up at him and he thought he saw something in her eyes - something like longing and hesitation. Blinking, she dropped her gaze to the ground, patting her shoulder. “Well we should get going, Grandpa’s waiting and I’m sure he could use our help with dinner.”

Henry twisted up his face, reluctant. “Can we stay longer? Roland said there’s a lake where we could skip rocks nearby.”

He saw Regina tense up before glancing back at him. She knew what lake his son meant. He knew too. It was the same lake where they’d spent nights in the back of his truck - laughing, dreaming, making memories (possibly babies). That lake was… sacred ground. At least it used to be. 

“Can we go see it with Roland and Robin?” begged Henry. “It sounds cool.”

Regina let out a nervous laugh, beginning to shake her head. “Um…”

“I don’t mind.” He cut off her refusal in its tracks.

Just twenty minutes ago, he’d been sure that if he never saw Regina again it would be for the best but now it felt like he’d do anything to keep her from leaving. Her and her son.

He shrugged. “Roland and I were about to head out anyway and we love going over to the lake. We do it all the time.”

Hesitation was clear on Regina’s face as she looked up at him. “I don’t want to put you out…”

“You won’t be,” he insisted. “It’ll be nice. Give us a chance to catch up.”

She bit her lip before pulling a tight smile onto her face - a clear sign she was out of excuses. Helplessly raising her hands, she shrugged. “Okay… let’s go to the lake.”

Robin's heart pounded in his chest as the four of them headed off the field, toward a trail that would lead them to the familiar lake. Walking beside his old love, with his son in his arms and her son ahead of them he remembered what she'd said to him so many years ago.

She'd been right when she said it was good to have all the facts. And right now, Robin felt like he'd been missing out on quite a few of them.


	7. Chapter 7

**_10 years before…_ **

 

_Regina crept up the stairs of her front porch, trying to keep them from creaking. Their appointment with the doctors had run longer than expected so now she was late. It was barely after six but she knew if her mother caught her sneaking in late she’d be pissed - and drunk. God she didn’t want to deal with that. Still, it was good that she went - even if Robin had been quieter than usual on the way back. He was probably just worried about his dad though. She couldn’t blame him for that. What he’d heard at the doctor’s office hadn’t been pleasant._

_Softly shutting the door behind her, she rushed past the living room, toward the stairs hoping she wouldn’t be seen. Her foot was on the bottom step when she heard her mother’s voice._

_“Well, look who finally made it home.”_

_Regina scrunched her eyes closed. Judging by the lisp in her mother’s words she was in for a rough ride. Turning around, she found her mother, Cora Mills, come around the corner with disdain in her eyes and a drink in her hand. Just like always._

_Cora placed her hand on her hip. “You said you’d be home five.”_

_“Things ran late,” Regina replied. “Where’s Daddy?”_

_“Working late as always. So don’t expect him to rescue you,” snapped Cora. She eyed Regina suspiciously. “What took so long?”_

_“Mal and I took crack at calc again. There was stuff we didn’t grasp.”_

_“Don’t lie to me.”_

_“I’m not lying.”_

_“You’re lying through your goddamn teeth!” said Cora, raising her voice. “You were with that boy again! Just admit it!”_

_“So what if I was!” cried Regina, in frustration. “What is so bad about that?!”_

_Cora groaned, shaking her head. “You’re so stupid,” she muttered. “You’ve always been so stupid.” Gritting her teeth, she glared at her daughter. “Regina, what is it gonna take to knock those foolish fantasies out of your head?”_

_“They’re not fantasies,” she whispered, trying not to let her mother see just how much her words hurt. “Robin loves me.”_

_Cora scoffed. “Why? Because one warm summer night you opened your legs for him?” She stepped closer to her. “Listen to your mother, dear. Robin does not love you. You are just his high school girlfriend and when the time comes… he will move on. So should you.”_

_Clenching her jaw to keep her chin from trembling, Regina took a deep breath. She tried to remind herself that harsh words were Cora’s specialty. They weren’t real and they didn’t mean anything. Robin did love her. And they had a future together, no matter what her mother said._

_Sticking out her chin, she defiantly replied, “You’re wrong.”_

 

\---------------------

 

Walking down the trail, Regina tried to keep her eyes forward, focused on Henry and the curves and turns of the path. As if she didn’t already know it by heart. She watched Henry run ahead of her, hemming and hawing at all the nature and she smiled. It’d been kind of nice seeing him discover her home time. He’d been so excited to see where she’d grown up, even if she hadn’t exactly been eager to return. So she kept her eyes on him… rather than on the man beside her.

She didn’t even have the words to describe how it felt to see Robin Locksely again. It’d been ten years since he broke her heart. She’d gone to college, gotten a degree, had tons of relationships and experiences that had nothing at all to do with him. She had a son now, for god’s sake. She should be over it, she should be over him…

… but if that was true, why was it so damn hard to be near him again?

He walked beside her just as silent as she was. From the corner of her eye she took him in. He’d looked so good in the bar the night before but, god, he looked even better now. His blue eyes were sparkling and the short locks of his blonde hair were even lighter in the sun. It brought her back to those days before he’d had the truck and they’d been stuck trekking through the forest on foot.

She shook her head, trying not to dwell in the memory.

Halfway through, Robin set Roland down on his feet and the boy took off running in Henry’s direction. A chuckle fell from her lips as she watched him wince at his son flying down the trail and called after him, warningly.

He looked at her, surprised. “What?”

“Nothing.” She shrugged. “It’s just… you’re a dad.” Again, she laughs. “It’s kinda surreal, considering I used to watch you cry over pokemon cards.”

A blush rises in his cheeks and he chuckles to hide his embarrassment. “Only when I made a bad trade,” he reminded her, thinking back to their middle school days. He’d been obsessed with those cards.

Walking along, he asked, “So… how do you like Boston?”

“It’s great,” she replied, nodding her head. “The city is thriving and vibrant. It’s a great place to raise a kid, too.”

“I bet,” he mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. That single action sent her heart thumping. He used to do the exact same thing when he was apprehensive in high school.

“How was Harvard?” he suddenly asked, with a nervous look in his eye. “Tough as you thought?”

“Tougher,” she said. “My first year was… hell, seemed like I was leagues behind everybody. Struggling to catch up.”

“But you powered through?”

“I did,” she said, a proud smile appearing on her face. “And it was one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.”

Transferring from Storybrooke High to an Ivy League school had been a jarring transition to say the least. In her hometown she’d been valedictorian, easily the smartest kid in every class but at Harvard she was an average fish in a big stream and she’d nearly gotten overtaken by the current. Both she and Mal had experienced their fair share of breakdowns that first year - and not just due to classwork - but once they found their rhythm things had fallen into place. She’d learned more than she ever had before, become someone she hadn’t thought she could be. Going to Harvard was the second best thing she’d ever done.

“I’m glad you went,” said Robin. “I know it was your dream for a long time.”

“It was,” she softly replied, thinking of another dream. One that had fallen through around the same time. Crossing her arms, she sighed before asking, “What about you? Did you end up going to school?”

“Eh…” Robin shrugged his shoulders. “Not four-year like I’d planned. After dad died I ended up taking some classes at the community college and I got an associate’s degree in business. Not exactly a diploma but I have a framed certificate that hangs over my desk.”

“That’s great,” she says, a genuine smile appearing on her face. She always knew he’d do well in school if he chose to.

“It’s nice,” he agrees, “but I’m really shooting for Roland to go further.” He nods towards his son, who’s pointing out his favorite spots on the trail. “School was so important to his mother, Marian.”

It doesn’t sting hearing Robin refer to another woman, another love even but something inside her flinches at the sound of her name. Not jealousy, exactly. An old disappointment or rejection, perhaps. She tries to push past it.

“Marian?” She tries saying the name for the first time. It feels awkward coming from her mouth. “I haven’t heard much about her.”

He glances at her, a mischievous look in his eye. “Oh, yeah? What have you heard?”

A blush rises in her cheeks as she averts her eyes. She hadn’t wanted to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she kept even minimal tabs on him but she supposed that cat was out of the bag.

Her shoulders rose, nonchalantly. “Like I said not much. Just that she was a school teacher, around our age, with dark hair.” Glancing at him she hesitated before adding, “I heard that she was really pretty… and you had a beautiful wedding.”

Robin scoffed, shaking his head. “Not a word about the shotgun?”

A snort comes from her before she can stop it. “There were some mentions of it but I chalked it up to small town embellishment.”

“Well, this time it was the cold truth,” he sheepishly mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. “Really?”

Robin nodded. “There was no actual shotgun but she was pregnant with Roland at the time. We’d only been together a few weeks when she found out.”

“Wow,” she whispered, her lips parting in shock. Thinking back to their short conversation in the bar, she remembers that he is decidedly no longer married. “So… where is she now?”

Wringing his hands, Robin paused before answering her. “Well, she died right before Roland turned two.”

Her heart clenches inside her chest.The image of Robin with a two year old in his arms, standing in front of a casket enters her brain and she instantly regrets asking about Marian at all. Not married but still wearing a wedding ring? Of course, she’d died. She should’ve been smart enough to figure it out on her own.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispers.

Robin shrugs, trying to brush off her condolences but she can see the pain in his eyes. She always could.

“It’s okay,” he sighs. “You know, counting the day I met her and the day she died I only had 1055 days with her. I counted. It wasn’t really a long time but it was a really good one. Wouldn’t take back a single day if I could.”

There was pain in his smile as he spoke about her but there was love too. And surprisingly, she didn’t begrudge him an ounce of it. She glad that he’d found happiness, no matter how brief. Even with everything that happened between them, she knew he deserved it.

“Wow!”

Henry’s voice breaks through their conversation as they finally reach the lake.

Regina’s heart stutters at the sight of it. Excluding a bush or two, it was exactly as she remembered. Sunlight was reflected in the crystal water, smooth, grey stones were scattered across the edge of the sandy banks, just before the grass started. It felt like no time had passed here at all.

But of course, that wasn’t true.

“What about you?” asked Robin.

She turned to him, caught off guard. “What?”

“Do you have… a person?” he cautiously asked.

She let out a nervous breath before shaking her head. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t have anybody.”

“You don’t?” he said, sounding surprised.

“Nope,” she sighed, feeling her heart go heavy. After a moment’s hesitation she goes further. “Well...there was somebody…”

Robin raises his eyebrows, intrigued. “Somebody?”

“A little while back,” she elaborated. “I liked him, he liked me but… I hesitated, and held back… and by the time I found the courage to be all in it was too late. He was gone.”

She forces the explanation out, trying to ignore just how thick her throat feels as pushes out word after word, the dull ache of her high school heartbreak overwhelmed by the sting of her new one.

“Do you mean Henry’s father?”

Her eyes immediately flicker up to his. “No,” she says, swiftly shaking her head. Glancing back toward her son, she adds, “Henry doesn’t exactly have one of those.”

His arms go across his chest then, and he stares her down, pressing his lips together. Oh, she knows that look. He always gave it to her when he thought she was holding back, or lying. Dropping her hands to her hips, she narrows her eyes at him “What, Robin?”

He shrugged his shoulders, hesitant. “Nothing, it’s just… the timing.” He nervously swallows, still staring her down. “He’s nine, right?”

She crosses her arms, defensively before mumbling, “Yes.”

“And well… we were together around ten years ago so... I just can’t help but wonder…”

He trailed off and she knew he was hoping that she would follow and not force him to say the words. Unfortunately, for him she couldn’t find it in her to be that merciful.

“Wondering what, Robin?”

He took a deep breath.

“Regina, is Henry my son?” 


	8. Chapter 8

**_10 years before…_ **

 

_ It was like there was a brick in his stomach. It’d formed early last night and remained inside of him all through the pictures and graduation ceremony. He’d sat there in his cap and gown listening to speeches about the future knowing that he was about to destroy his own.  _

 

_ It’s for the best, he tried to remind himself. If he truly loved her… then this is what he had to do.  _

 

_ The brick in his stomach grew heavier when he saw her making her way down the trail to the lake, struggling against the loose rocks in her black heels. The zipper of her graduation gown was undone revealing the floral mini dress she wore underneath during the ceremony. Her long curls were straightened and smoothed into an elegant updo, accentuated by the drop pearl earring he knew she’s gotten especially for today. She smiled brighter than the sun when she saw him and his heart dropped.  _

 

_ She looked beautiful.  _

 

_ “Hey you,” she drawled, hardly able to contain her excitement. “Look at us, Storybrooke High School graduates!”  _

 

_ She leans in to wrap her arms around his neck and give him a lingering kiss, the last kiss he’d ever get from her, not that she knew that. He tried to treasure it but honestly, her lips tasted like ash and betrayal against his own. He gently pushed her away, trying to keep the heartbreak out of his eyes.  _

 

_ “Regina… we need to talk.”  _

 

_ Her smile faltered at the serious tone of his voice. “What’s wrong?” she asked, searching his face. “Is it your father?”  _

 

_ “Something like that.” He paused, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. Looking down at her, he tried to steele his resolve. This had to happen for her sake.  _

 

_ “I’ve doing some thinking,” he said. “About my dad and us… and the future. And I just don’t think what we have planned really works.”  _

 

_ She shifts, uncomfortably at his words, her voice coming out small when she asks, “What do you mean?”  _

 

_ “I mean… my dad’s going to need a lot of attention and most of it has to come from me,” he tries to explain. “I’m his son, I have to take care of him.”  _ __   
  


_ “I know that,” she says, understandingly.  _

 

_ “And with how sick he’s gonna be, he’s gonna want a lot of space and privacy,” he continues. “I just don’t think he’ll get any of it, if you stay and move in with us.”  _

 

_ Worry starts to dance in her brown as she looks up at him. She presses her lips together and he knows that she can see where this is headed.  _

 

_ Shaking her head, she stammers, “Well… that’s okay. I mean, I don’t have to live with you guys. I could stay with my parents or get an apartment on my own…”  _

 

_ “Regina...I just don’t think I can do it,” he mumbles.  _

 

_ “Can’t do what?” she whispers.  _

 

_ “I can’t take care of my dad… and keep pretending that I love you.”  _

 

_ He never knew it was possible to see so much emotion on one person’s face. It’s all so heavy, the way she goes silent, the way her eyes stay on his face in disbelief and heartbreak, tears welling up inside of them. She sucks in a sharp, tiny breath before biting down on her lip to keep from screaming. Trembling, lets out another breath shaky and fragile.  _

 

_ “Why… why would you say that?” she brokenly whispers.  _

 

_ “I’m sorry.” He is, he is more sorry than he has ever been or will ever be in his entire life. This wasn’t how this day was supposed to go. This was supposed to be the day they got engaged, this moment was supposed to be happy and joyous, memorable for all the best reasons, not the worst ones. This wasn’t how this day was supposed to be.  _

 

_ “ _ **_I never meant to hurt you_ ** _ ,” he mumbles, unable to look her in the eye. “I just… I thought it was better to tell you now.”  _

 

_ Tears had started to stream down her face, as a hurt sound escaped from her lips. “You said you loved me,” she softly cried.  _

 

_ It takes everything in him not to cry because he does love her. More than she knows, more than he can let her know right now. His heart is breaking at the thought of a future without her but he can’t be the thing that holds her back. He just can’t.  _

 

_ This is the only way that she can have her dream. Without him.  _

 

_ She starts to break at his prolonged silence. “Just… go Robin.  _ **_Leave me alone_ ** _ , please.”  _

 

_ He wants to take it all back. Wants to pull her into her arms, whisper that of course he loves her, doesn’t know if he could ever learn to stop but he can’t. She has to go to Harvard. She has to get out of this town, away from its limits, away from her mother. He can’t stand in the way of that.  _

 

_ So he doesn’t. Lump still in his throat, he does as she asks and leaves. Out of the corner of his eye he sees her sink to her knees near the bottom of the tree, her hands covering her mouth to stifle her cries. Every step he takes away from her sinks him further into regret.  _

 

_ By the time he gets into his car he’s already started to wonder… did he just make the biggest mistake of his life? _

 

\---------------------

 

There’s only been one other time in his life where he’s felt like a bigger jackass than he does right now. It was in the exact same spot on graduation day, the day he broke her heart. He remembers it like it was yesterday. Standing under this same tree, obliterating any chance of a future with the girl he loved, the girl who stood in front of him now with crossed arms and pulled together eyebrows. 

 

He never would’ve thought that ten years after that fateful day, he’d be standing in the exact same spot asking her if the boy she showed up with was his son. It would be life’s cruelest trick if she said yes. A perfect show of karma for what he’d done and said to her… but apparently, life wasn’t that poetic. 

 

“Robin... no.” 

 

His eyebrows shoot up to the top of his head. “No?” 

 

“No,” she laughs, staring at him with incredulous eyes. “Are you serious?” 

 

He helplessly shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t know,” he stressed, embarrassment starting to burn in his cheeks. “I mean you showed up with a kid and all the timing worked out, and David got in my head.” 

 

God, the next time he saw his cousin he was getting a punch straight to the gut. 

 

Luckily, Regina only chuckled good-naturedly. “Well, sorry to disappoint you and the rumor mill but Henry isn’t your son. I adopted him.” 

 

“Oh…” His reply comes out softer than he intended. “Really?” 

 

“Yeah,” she sighs, turning to beam in the direction of her son, who’s tossing rocks into the lake, trying to make them skip. “Paperwork was finalized about a week ago, so this is kind of a celebration trip for the two of us.” 

 

“That’s… amazing.” A smile breaks out on his face at her news. He always knew she’d make an incredible mother. “Your father must be over the moon.” 

 

“He is quite ecstatic,” she replies with a grin. “He’s always wanted a namesake, and he’s finally got one.” She tilts her head, wistfully. “It’s just a nice reminder that everything happens for a reason, even the bad stuff.” 

 

Right, the bad stuff... like him. 

 

For ten years he’d wondered if he’d made the right choice, breaking up with her on graduation day. He’d spent so many nights lying awake, thinking about her and what he’d given up. And for the first time since that day, it feels like he finally has a definitive answer. It had been for the best. She had her son and he had his. She’d achieved her goals and found happiness, maybe not with him but with herself. Seeing her now, happy, successful, a mother… he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. What he’d done was for the best, even if it had hurt them both at the time. 

 

Maybe that’s why he’d finally felt brave enough to apologize for it. 

 

“You know… I’m sorry.” Her eyes flicker up to his. “About graduation,” he says. “I shouldn’t have broken up with you like that. You deserved better than that, better than me…” 

 

The light in her eyes dims at his apology and he can see her gulp, swallowing her feelings. “It’s okay,” she mumbles. “You were just being honest.” 

 

Talking about that day has sent her walls up he can see that. Her gaze has averted from him, and her fingers grip into her arms as she tries to downplay her own pain. It’s a familiar picture for him. Even after ten years. 

 

“I mean… what did we expect?” She shrugged. “We were eighteen in high school. It was bound to happen sooner or later. It’s not like you were gonna marry me or anything like that.” 

 

His heart clenches at her last sentence. It stings hearing her dismiss the idea of their marriage but how could she know what he’d been planning? It’s not like he’d ever told her. 

 

“What we had was...sweet,” she mumbled, still keeping up her facade. “But it wasn’t meant to last. It wasn’t meant to be… significant, obviously.” 

 

“You have always been significant to me Regina,” he says. “That much has always been true.” 

 

Sincerity drips from his words, cutting off her dismissal of their relationship. She looks up at him with surprise in her eyes, caught off guard by the depth of his honesty. He tries not to be hurt at the shock in her eyes, knowing damn well it was his own decision to put it there. He’d been the one to say he didn’t love her. It shouldn’t surprise him that she still believes that. Maybe it’d been for the best back then but he can’t let her go on still thinking that she meant nothing. Because in truth she’d meant everything. 

 

Silent once again, she searches his face for a hint of insincerity, swallowing hard when she finds none. 

 

“I should go,” she finally whispers. “My dad is waiting for us back at the house.” 

 

Everything in his soul is reaching out for her, screaming at him to beg her not to leave. But just like that day ten years ago, he doesn’t listen to it. He just watches as she gathers her son and heads for the trail, only managing to send him one last glance before she walks off. 

 

\-------------------------

 

**_10 years before..._ **

 

_ She didn’t know how long she sat beneath that tree, feeling numb and heartbroken.  _

 

_ Her mother had been right. Robin didn’t love her. He never did.  _

 

_ Once again her eyes landed on the graduation ring on her right hand, the one he’d given to her. Pain sliced through her as she thought back to that night, the way he’d managed to sound so in love with her, to make her think that they’d had a future together. Had he been lying the whole time?  _

 

_ She was surprised when her friends showed up, nearly forgetting that she’d texted them in her tear-filled haze. The minute they saw her, they rushed to wrap her arms around her as she cried, listening when she explained what happened. By the time she finished she was staring into three pairs of eyes all filled with the same burning fury.  _

 

_ “That bastard,” gritted out Ursula. “How dare he do this to you?”  _

 

_ She paced in front of the tree with her hands on her hips, already forming a plan to ruin Robin’s life. “After all that you’ve done for him…”  _

 

_ “Doesn’t make any sense,” added Carlotta, before taking another swig from the flask she’d hidden in her gown. “It’s not like he can ever hope to do better than you.”  _

 

_ She’d offered Regina a drink more than once but she’d refused, still sitting on the roots of the tree, her chin in her hands and her eyes still burning from the tears as Mal comfortingly rubbed her back.  _

 

_ “We should drive his stupid truck into the lake,” growled Ursula, clearly out for revenge.  _

 

_ Regina subtly sucked in a breath, fighting the instinct to scream no, Robin needed his car for work and doctor’s appointments. God, why does she still care about him? She doesn’t want to care. She shouldn’t.  _

 

_ “We’re not gonna drive his truck into the lake,” Mal calmly insisted. “It’s like my grandmother used to say. ‘The best revenge is a life well-lived.’”  _

 

_ Carlotta rolled her eyes. “No, the best revenge is a well-paid hitman.”  _

 

_ Mal ignored her, looking to Regina instead. “Look I know this sucks but you still have options. This means you can go to Harvard, become a lawyer just like you planned.”  _

 

_ Regina’s bottom lip started to tremble and she pushed them together, as she shook her head. “I can’t go to Harvard,” she brokenly whispered.  _

 

_ “Of course you can,” Mal insisted. “I saw the deadline. You can cancel your deferment, take your spot back.”  _

 

_ “It’s not about the deadline Mal!” She sighed, turning to her with sad eyes. “I’m pregnant.”  _


	9. Chapter 9

_**10 years before…** _

_The seven days after graduation were the second saddest days of Regina's life. It was like the moment Robin walked away from he'd decided to take her heart, energy and self-worth with her._

_Months before, she and the girls had planned to spend graduation night drinking and celebrating with their classmates at the after parties. But with Robin's decision and her subsequent news, plans were swiftly changed. Regina couldn't imagine heading back into town and possibly facing him again, so her friends leapt into action whisking her away to a cabin in the woods._

_When they got there she went to bed and stayed for there five days. Burying herself under the blankets, she alternated between crying her eyes out, sleeping and occasionally allowing her friends to make sure she ate. All she could think about was how sharply her prospects had fallen. Three weeks ago, she'd been Harvard-bound and in love. Now she was just a pregnant teen who'd just been dumped by a boy who'd only pretended to love her. A high-school valedictorian with no future at all._

_Isolated in that bed, she'd never felt more alone… though she supposed that wasn't entirely true. She did have a baby inside her, after all._

_God, she'd only found out two days before graduation. The pregnancy test was meant to settle her nerves. Her period hadn't shown up in a while but that wasn't unusual for her and she and Robin had always been safe. Even with all the evidence building up she'd never expected the plus sign to actually show up. The sight of it knocked the air out of her lungs._

_She spent two days trying to figure out how to tell Robin but then he'd crushed her heart like a bug on a sidewalk. The thought of telling him now just felt painful._

_It was early in the morning when she finally decided to leave the room. Still in her pajamas, her hair still mussed from her pillows she got out of bed and headed straight for the porch. When they'd first arrived at the cabin she'd noticed a porch swing. It seemed like a nice place to start reacquainting herself with the world. Watching the sunrise, she left herself swing gently back and forth using the tips of her toes, allowing the numbness inside of her to slowly fade away._

_What the hell am I gonna do now?_

_Her friends woke up and joined her an hour later. Still dressed in their pajamas, they poked their heads through the front door regarding her, cautiously._

" _Well… look how finally got out of bed," observed Mal, sitting next to her on the swing._

_Regina shrugged. "Wallowing started to get monotonous," she mumbled._

_Arm in arm, Ursula and Carlotta went to lean against the railing across from her, both of their eyes sympathetic._

" _It's nice to see you up," said Carlotta. "For a second, I was worried you'd die in that bed."_

_Pretty sure I did, she thought to herself._

_Sighing, Regina nodded at Carlotta. "Thanks for letting me stay here, by the way. Are you sure your mom won't mind?"_

_Carlotta rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Oh please, she hasn't been here since husband number two."_

_Which was three husbands ago, as Regina recalled. Taking another deep breath, she tried not to drown under the weight of all their concern. Her friends were clearly worried about her. Why else would they be looking at her like a ticking time bomb?_

" _How are you feeling?" asked Ursula._

_Regina leaned back in her seat, feeling her face grow hot. "I am feeling… like an idiot."_

_Immediately, a trio of dissenting voices arose but she shook her head at them. "I can't believe this happened to me. I mean… I worked so hard. I studied, I volunteered, I was valedictorian, I was… the best girlfriend I could be and… now I've got nothing." Her voice broke as tears started to stream down her face. "I worked so hard to get out of here… and now I'm just gonna be another teen mom who's gonna die in the same small town she was born in. I'm a fucking cliche, just like Cora said I would be."_

_Mal immediately wrapped her arms around her, comfortingly pulling her closer. "Okay, first of all fuck your mother."_

" _Sideways," added Ursula._

" _With a rusty chainsaw," finished Carlotta._

" _Secondly," continued Mal, "You don't have nothing. You have us. We're your friends we're gonna help you get through this."_

_Wiping tears from her face, Regina shook her head. "I'm eighteen years-old and pregnant Mal. How am I supposed to get through that?"_

_Ursula smiled at her. "Well, I'm glad you asked." She nodded at Mal, who immediately ran back into the house. Taking her seat next to Regina, Ursula continued on. "While you were drowning in your sorrows, the girls and I were brainstorming about your future."_

_Mal returned with an open laptop, that she handed to Regina. "We thought this would be a good place for you to start."_

_Skeptical, Regina looked at the screen and saw it was pre-written email addressed to the head of admissions at Harvard. Skimming the details, she knew it was meant to be from her, claiming her spot at Harvard for the upcoming year._

_Letting out a deep breath, she rolled her eyes. "Guys that is sweet but… I can't go to Harvard. Not like this, not… pregnant."_

" _Why the hell not?" demanded Ursula. "If my mother could spend all day on her feet, running my family's restaurant while pregnant with my sisters, what's stopping you from sitting in a classroom and learning?"_

_Carlotta nodded her head in agreement. "Plus we checked and there are resources for girls in your situation. School doctors and student health insurance."_

" _And what about when the baby comes?" stressed Regina. "It's not like I can just pack it up and take it to class with me."_

" _We'll figure something out," argued Mal. "Don't forget I'll be there too."_

_Regina pressed her lips together, uncertain. "I don't know you guys. It's just… not what I pictured. Being the pregnant girl on campus."_

" _Would you prefer to be the pregnant girl at home?" said Carlotta, arching an eyebrow at her._

" _No," mumbled Regina. "I just…"_

_She trailed off, unsure of how to finish that sentence. It seemed like it would be a nightmare. Going to college pregnant, dealing with all the stares and whispers. She wanted Harvard but did she really want it that way?_

_Mal tilted her head, growing impatient with her indecisiveness. "Alright listen, do you want to have this baby?"_

_Regina shrugged her shoulders. "I… I don't know."_

" _Do you want to tell Robin about it?"_

_Balling her hands up, she shook her head. "I'm not sure yet."_

" _Do you want to raise it, give it away, not have it all?"_

" _I haven't decided yet!" stressed Regina, raising her voice._

_Mal stared at her, intently, for a beat. "Do you want to go to Harvard?"_

" _Yes." Her answer came out in a small, wistful whisper. Yes, she wanted to go Harvard. Yes, she wanted to go to law school. Yes, she wanted to get the hell out of this town and learn from the best minds in the world. That is what she wanted. More than anything._

" _Then go," Mal ordered. "You can go. It is something you want, something you deserve to have. Yes it'll be harder for you, and maybe more awkward than you thought it would be but this is one part of your future that he has not shattered. It's still there. You just have to let yourself have it."_

_Ursula squeezed her shoulder. "Regina… you can do this. You can go to Harvard."_

_Torn inside, Regina thought of the school she'd always dreamed of and the baby growing inside of her. For the past week, she'd been thinking of them as two seperate possibilities, two futures that could never mix. Perhaps she was wrong about that. Sitting on the porch swing, surrounded by her friends' encouragement, she started to wonder… what if I could have both?_

_Swallowing her doubts, she read through the email and clicked send. It was official… she was going to Harvard._

_Once the email was sent she felt the tension in her stomach, loosen just a bit. She was still going to school and that was important. However, there were still other things to consider. What she going to do about the baby? Would she ever tell Robin? How was she going to tell her parents?_

_Oh god… how was she going to tell her parents?_

_\-------------------------_

Growing up Regina knew that she had one of the best fathers in town. She also knew that when it came to mothers she'd certainly drawn the short stick.

Henry and Cora Mills were a mismatched pair and everyone knew it. Her father was hard working, humble and sweet. Her mother… was not.

Though Regina supposed that was unfair. Her mother was always sniping about how hard it was to be her. To be married to a man who worked so much but only brought home so little. To be stuck as a housewife in a small town. To look around at your life and see that everything had fallen short of your dreams and expectations, including your spouse and child. Her mother had truly been a rose dying on the vine. At least that's how she'd seen herself. Other simply saw her as a mean-spirited alcoholic. Regina included.

She didn't shed a single tear when she learned that her mother had run off with an old rich flame, leaving in broad daylight during her sophomore year of college. If anything she only felt sad for her father, who appeared as though he was half of a man when he'd showed up to tell her the news. Nearly 25 years of marriage and it all took was the promise of New York penthouse and limitless credit cards for her mother to throw it all away.

Her father had been shattered. For all her mother's faults - and there were many- he had loved her. And she, more than anyone, knew how badly it hurt to love someone who had never felt the same.

It took time but eventually her father got past it all, just as she did. She'd never seen him happier than he was these past few years. Her father seemed lighter and unburdened. His confidence had rebounded in spades and he'd even gone on a few dates here and there. Nothing special, he always said, but good enough.

And of course, he loved Henry.

Nothing made Henry Sr. happier than spending time with his grandson. Being a grandfather had revived a bit of his youth, and he'd practically danced a jig when he heard the two of them were coming down for the reunion. Ever since they'd arrived he'd been showering them with attention, cooking for them every meal and listening to their tales of the reunion.

Returning from her trip to the lake with Robin and his son, Regina decided that today was one story she'd be better off keeping to herself. After her pregnancy her father made no secret of his disdain for the boy who'd once broken her heart. She didn't want to ruin his good mood by mentioning that she'd talked to him.

Of course, things would've worked out better if she'd told her son about this decision.

It was a few hours after they returned, Henry and her father were playing checkers as he rambled on about the baseball game. Her father was mid-move when Henry dropped Robin's name. The smack of that red checker was the last thing she heard before her father turned his inquisitive brown eyes at her, while still talking to Henry.

"Oh… you met Robin today?"

Henry nodded his head, unaware of all the rising tension, still focusing on what move to make next. "Yep. He and mom were old friends."

"Oh, I'm aware," her father mumbled, narrowing his eyes at her from across the room. She squirmed under his gaze, kicking herself for not warning her son in the first place.

"He and his son showed us the lake," chirped Henry. "And I tried to skip rocks but I wasn't good at it."

Henry Sr. finally turned his attention back to his grandson, letting out a soft chuckle. "Oh that's alright. It takes a lot of practice to learn how to skip rocks. Next time you visit, I'll take you out and teach you."

"Cool!" said Henry, finally making his move.

Two minutes later, her father abruptly ended their game, claiming that it was time to cook dinner. Regina sighed as she watched him walk away. Twenty-eight years-old but she was still unable to handle her father's disappointment.

She follows him into the kitchen, her shoulders feeling heavy when she finds him pulling down spices for dinner. Judging by the spices, it looks like chili for tonight.

"Daddy," she drawls, approaching him by the counter. "Don't be mad."

"Why would I be mad?" he says, shrugging his shoulders.

She sighs. "I only saw him for a second Daddy. We just talked and caught up on a few things."

He eyes her suspiciously. "Things like what?"

"Nothing big," she mumbled. "Just things like his wife and his son."

Her father grumbled, turning his attention back to the spice. "Yeah, I remember when she died. He walked around in a haze for months. It was sad." He paused, twisting the cap off an old jar of cinnamon, sighing deeply when it finally came off. Looking at her with hesitant eyes, he nodded toward the kitchen table. "Sit down sweetheart."

Regina subtly gulped, taking a seat. They always had serious talks at the kitchen table.

Her father joined her, softly groaning as he lowered himself into a chair across from hers. Once seated, he stared at her with understanding eyes. "Regina… I'm not mad that you saw Robin."

She raised her eyebrows. "You're not?"

"No," he says, shaking his head. "But I am a little disappointed, frankly."

Confusion plays out on her face. "Disappointed how?"

He sighs, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know, I just… when you said you were coming back here I knew you would probably see him and I thought that meant that you were finally ready to tell him everything."

Regina bit her lip as her heart clenched in her chest. "Daddy… all of that is in the past, there's no point in telling him now. I'm over it."

Henry shook his head. "Honey, we both know that's not true. Just because you bury the things that hurt you doesn't mean they didn't happen. You're not over it, baby, your carrying it. On your back and in your heart."

She presses her lips together, shaking her head. "That's not true," she denies. "I've moved on. I have Henry, I have my job and good friends. I have a good life."

"I never said you didn't," her father immediately replied. "You've done so much better than I ever could. You've gone so much farther than you dreamed but… I don't know, ever since your pregnancy it's like you've held back a piece of yourself every new person that comes along. Maybe that's why you and Daniel never-"

"Daddy please!" she hissed, shutting him down. "Don't."

He grabbed her hand, sympathetic. "Regina… it has been six months since he died and you still can't hear his name."

Regret swells up inside of her at the thought of Daniel, the first man she'd truly had feelings for since Robin. He'd wanted to be with her, he wanted to make her happy but by the time she was willing to give him a real chance… he'd already been taken from her. Thinking of him along with Robin and all the pain surrounding their relationship, it was just too much.

"I know opening yourself up to love and pain is hard," he said, "But maybe it'll be easier if you actually told Robin how much you went through after the two of you broke up. Maybe then you can finally let it all go."

Regina sniffed. "I disagree," she stubbornly replied.

Her father sighed, dropping his gaze downward. "I just don't want you to give up on love because of your experiences and the bad example I set for you."

"Daddy," she says, her voice growing tender, "You didn't set a bad example for me. Every man that comes into my life is measured against you."

That manages to earn her sad smile.

"And I haven't given up on love," she said. "The love of my life is in the living room playing checkers, remember?"

Her father nods his head concedingly. "I know how much it means for you to have him. Just remember that it's okay for you to have someone else too."

He presses a kiss to her forehead before going back to cook dinner. Staying at the kitchen table, Regina thought over their conversation, visions of Robin in the past and in the present dancing around in her head, knowing that she'd never tell him the truth.

She couldn't.


	10. Chapter 10

_**10 years before…** _

_Sitting on his bed, Robin tried to settle the lurches of his stomach as he scrolled through Regina's MySpace page. It'd been more than three months since graduation, the day he'd last seen her. He'd expected to run into her around town, maybe get an angry phone call or two, but she might as well have been a ghost. He hadn't seen her at all. After checking the Harvard academic calendar, he knew that school had started a week ago and the word had gone through town that she'd decided to go after all, just like he'd hoped. It was pathetic to be monitoring her MySpace page, he knew that, but… he just wanted to see her face. Even if it was just through a screen._

_He thought maybe he'd get a glimpse of where she'd been all summer, see some pictures of her on move-in day… see her smile. Imagine his disappointment when all he saw were the same pictures of her from graduation. They'd been sitting at the top of her profile for the whole summer._

_It was torture._

_Tossing his laptop aside, he got up from his bed. He had more urgent things to do than think about Regina (not that he would ever stop). Grabbing a throw blanket from the living room, he headed outside and saw his father sitting on the front steps of the porch, looking out at the lawn with a blank stare. He'd gotten much worse since graduation. His clothes hung loser, his skin was ashen and the dark circles under his eyes grew more defined every day. Robin knew his father looked downright sickly but even still the sight of him on the front porch was a familiar sight._

_The porch had always been his father's thinking place, or rather his parent's. When his mother was alive she and his father would have all their big hushed talks there. It was the place where they talked out problems and his father continued to the trend long after she died. Growing up Robin would catch him sitting there at night, more often than not with a cigarette in hand, thinking about things that Robin knew he probably couldn't understand._

_Joining him on the steps, Robin placed the blanket over his father's shoulders. "Cold?"_

" _A little," sighed his father. Pulling it closer around himself, he grumbled, "You know when you do stuff like this it makes me feel like an old lady?"_

" _Then you're gonna hate it when I start helping you across the street," replied Robin, sitting next to him on the steps. "What are you thinking about?"_

" _Oh the usual," said his father. He smiled at his son. "You."_

_Robin raised his eyebrows. "Me? I'm fine Dad."_

" _No you aren't." He covered his mouth to stifle a cough. "You forget I raised you. I know when you're sad." He sighed, pulling the blanket tighter around himself. "You miss Regina."_

_Hanging his head, Robin sucked in a sharp breath. He did miss her. He missed her more than he'd ever missed anyone, save his mother. At first he'd hoped that maybe his feelings would fade away, that they'd grow lesser over time until he no longer noticed them but that wasn't the case. The more he tried to let his feelings go the more they dug into his heart. Every day he grew more and more certain that he would always love Regina Mills._

" _What happened between you two?"_

_Robin sighed. "I told you. We decided to end it."_

" _I'm a dying man, son. Don't bullshit me." Robin glared at him but Robert held firm. "Tell me the truth. What happened?"_

_For a brief second he considered lying again but deep down Robin knew he'd already done enough of that. Lifting his head, he let out a deep breath. "I chose to end it. Not her. It was all me."_

" _You?" Robert twisted his face in confusion. "Why the hell would you do that?"_

" _Because it was a choice between me or Harvard," he whispered, shrugging his shoulders. "And she would've chosen wrong."_

_Robert nodded understandingly, clearing his throat. "So… you made the choice for her."_

" _What else was I supposed to do?" asked Robin. "It was her dream and she was never gonna get another chance at it. I couldn't let her give it up."_

_Gripping his son's shoulders, Robert groaned. "And what about you Robin? What about your dreams?"_

_Robin shrugged. "I don't know, I guess I'll figure it out."_

_They sat together in silence for a moment, looking out on the yard, both of them thinking of the past and the future. Finally Robert spoke again. "You think you've got all the time in the world, Robin… you're wrong."_

" _Dad…"_

" _Let me finish," he ordered, his voice turning hoarse. "You always think you'll get another chance, that there'll come a time when you can right wrongs and set things right but that's just not true. Time is too steady and too fast to pass on the things that make you happy. Before you know it you'll be an old man sitting on your porch thinking of all the things you could've done better."_

_Robin sighed, letting his father's words sink in. "What am I supposed to do Dad? She's already gone."_

" _Gone but not lost," he replied. "You know where she is, go to her, see if you can work things out."_

_Robin shook his head. "Doubt she'd be happy to see me. Besides I want to stick around here for awhile."_

_Robert gave him a long hard look before rolling his eyes with a sigh. "Fine, I tried but just know… that I only wanted you to be happy Robin."_

" _I know that Dad."_

" _I mean it," he said, smiling. "You know when I sit here and think of all things in my life that I did right, you're always at the top of the list. There's nothing I did better than you."_

_His hand shook as he reached up run his fingers over his son's hair. "Just don't let the next opportunity pass you by, okay son?"_

" _Okay, I promise."_

_\---------------------------------_

Robin's father died eight months after he graduated high school. His passing was slow and quiet, lit by the muted, florescent lights of his hospital room and the only person present was his son, who stayed by his side until his last breath. Watching his father wither away was the hardest thing he'd ever done but even after he was gone Robin never stopped feeling connected to him. He still lived in the house where he grew up, he owned the bar his father had opened and all through his adult life his voice had remained in the back of his head. Every time a decision came along, big or small, he would think back to tiny bits of advice and wisdom his father had offered in the past. But some pieces of his wisdom were harder to listen to than others.

Even now as he stood behind the bar counter wiping down glasses, he could hear his father's voice had been roaring in the back of his head, reminding him of the promise he'd once made. Regina was back in town and he finally had a chance to make things right, to come clean. But how could he? It'd been ten years. Was it even worth it now?

He ducked behind the counter for another tray of glasses, his thoughts so heavy with the possibility for second chances that he didn't hear the bell above the door ring.

"Is 10:30 to early to ask for a drink?"

Raising his head above the counter, Robin chuckled when he saw Mal walking over to the bar. "Depends on the kind of morning you've had."

He'd been wondering if she'd speak to him during the reunion. It hadn't escaped his notice that when he'd given up Regina, he gave up Mal too. Even though Regina was clearly their common thread, he and Mal had been pretty close in school, too. They'd spent lunch times eating under the bleachers, she was the only reason he'd passed math in freshman year, and they shared a certain streak of humor that others didn't usually get. He'd missed her after graduation. Though, she didn't appear to feel the same given the look on her face when she sat down.

"What are you doing here, Mal?"

She shrugged, keeping her ice blue eyes on him. "It's our ten-year reunion Robin. I'm supposed to visit all my old friends."

Raising an eyebrow, Robin tilted his head. "I'm still on that list?"

"Third from the bottom but yeah, you're still on there," replied Mal, a slick smile pulling on her lips.

He rolled his eyes, covering up his relief. "I'm guessing it's a little too early for your usual bourbon?"

"I suppose I'll settle for a root beer," she sighed. Eyeing him as he moved behind the counter, she asked, "How are you?"

"Surviving," he replied with a shrug. "What about you? I'm surprised you came back town, I figured it might be hard for you."

"You mean because this whole town was the metaphorical closet in which I hid my sexuality?"

Setting a root beer down in front of her, he nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

Mal sucked her teeth. "Yeah that was rough but I figured that was the whole reason I should come back." She took a sip of her drink. "I mean, isn't the point of this reunion? To face confront old demons and bullies, show how you've changed?"

"I guess," mumbled Robin, resuming his chores. "But maybe some things are better off buried. Dredging up the past… it's not always worth it."

"Maybe," she softly replied. Leaning her elbows against the counter, she studies him carefully. "You know, it's been weird seeing everyone again. I used to spend so much time watching everyone in school. It was easier to think about them and their relationships and failings than my own. Coming back to this reunion what I've noticed the most is how differently people look at each other."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, you know, old friends who barely look at each other," she elaborated. "People who don't cower under old bullies. But then there are some things that don't change… like you."

Robin turned to her, confused. "Me?"

"Yeah… you and Regina," she said. "After all these years… you still look at her the same way."

Robin's throat grew dry as he tried not to look her in the eye. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Mal chuckled, shaking her head. "You made me your third wheel so many times the googly eyes you made at each other are etched in my memory. That's why I could never wrap my head around the idea that you never loved her. People who only tolerate each other don't look at each other the way you looked at her."

Leaning against the counter, Robin stared her down, trying not to let his true feelings show. "What are you saying Mal?"

"I'm saying that I have always found it extremely convenient that you broke her heart in time for her to enroll in Harvard," she said. "No dragging it out or waiting for a better time. It was almost like you had a deadline."

He didn't say a word, just stayed silent. Of course, for Mal, his silence held all the answers she'd been looking for.

Closing her eyes, she let out a huff. "You… dumb son of a bitch."

"I… I thought it was best," Robin mumbled under his breath. "I knew how much she wanted Harvard but I knew if it was a choice between Harvard and me… she'd choose wrong."

"You didn't know that," argued Mal, shaking her head. "You didn't know anything. You have no idea what you put her through, how much pain you caused her." She pressed her lips together. "You have to tell her the truth."

"Why?" stressed Robin. "What good would it do for her to know the truth?"

Mal stared at him for a second before scoffing and sliding off her stool. "God, nothing has changed in this town. It's still slathered in secrets, just like it used to be."

Still shaking her head, she headed for the door, Robin watching her as she went.

He called after her. "Give me one good reason why I should tell her the truth!"

"Because she deserves it!" Mal shot back. After a moment, she softens. "And honestly, so do you."

The bell above the door chimes as she heads back out onto the street, leaving Robin to ponder the meaning of her last sentence.


	11. Chapter 11

___**A year and a half year before…** _

_Sitting behind the desk in her new office, 26-year-old Regina Mills thought of all the things she had in her life. She'd just gotten promoted to junior partner at her law firm. Three months ago she'd signed the lease to an amazing two bedroom apartment downtown and in two weeks she'd have her 27th birthday. Mal had already spilled the beans that Ursula and Carlotta were flying in for the weekend. Some days it felt like she had absolutely everything… but other days it was painfully clear that she didn't._

" _I'm sorry Regina."_

_She looked up from her desk, into the apologetic blue eyes of her social worker, Daniel Colter. His tone was regretful as he informed her that the pregnant teen she'd met the week before hadn't chosen her to adopt her baby._

" _She thought you were amazing," he insisted. "She just thought…"_

" _That some other family was better," she finished, disappointed. Sucking in a sharp breath, she straightened her back and forced her lips into a smile. "No it's fine, I understand. I'd be a young single mother… it's a tough sell."_

_Daniel tilted his head at her, curiosity in his eyes. He'd known her for a few months now and Regina knew that had more than a few questions about her. Ones that couldn't be answered by flipping through her file. Leaning back in his seat he studied her face. "Regina?"_

" _Yes?"_

" _If you don't mind me asking, why are you taking this route?" he asked. "Every parent I come across will launch, unprompted, into an essay of why they want to take a child in. Tell me tales of fertility troubles, personal reasons why they want to adopt. You haven't done that and it's left me wondering why a woman so young and successful, would choose to do something so difficult when there are easier ways to get what she wants."_

_Regina kept a smile on her face but dropped her eyes to her desk to avoid his gaze. She liked Daniel, perhaps more than she'd allow him to know but that didn't mean she was willing to share with him the pain of her past. After all, how do you talk to a virtual stranger about feeling someone grow beneath your skin, wondering what they'll look like, who they'll grow into? How do you explain the devastating realization that knowing that person and watching them grow wasn't in their best interest or yours? And the absolute reluctance to relive the beginning of that story even when you know the ending might be completely different?_

_Instead she just smiled and shook her head. "I don't know. I've just had this feeling deep inside that the child I'm meant to have isn't supposed to come from me. I'm not meant to make them, I'm meant to find them. And I will, I just have to be patient."_

_Daniel nodded, acceptingly. Finally, he had an answer that made sense._

" _I understand," he said. "And you're right you will find them. I will help you find the baby that's meant to be your child."_

" _Thank you," she softly replied._

_A few seconds later her secretary knocked on the door. "Excuse me Mr. Colter but I think your guest is growing a little impatient."_

_Before she even finished her sentence a small boy with brown floppy hair and hazel eyes snuck in from behind her. Walking up to Daniel's chair he asked, impatiently, "How much longer are we gonna stay here?"_

" _Not much longer," sighed Daniel, pulling his lips into a reassuring smile. "Just give me a few more minutes with Miss Mills and we'll be on our way. Okay, Henry?"_

_The young boy frowned. "I'm hungry."_

" _You know if you want I'm sure there's a tray of cookies in the breakroom," chimed in Regina._

_It was then that the boy looked at her. She looked into his hazel eyes and something inside her shifted, like her heart was tugged right in his direction._

" _Are they chocolate chip?" he softly asked._

_Regina smiled. "Every single one."_

_Pressing his lips together, he looked to Daniel for permission. Daniel nodded. "Go ahead."_

_Watching him walk toward the door, Regina called out, "What was your name again?"_

_He turned back to her. "Henry."_

_She let out a small breath, as her smiled widened. "That's my dad's name."_

_Henry just shrugged, clearly more focused on cookies. "Cool."_

_As he walked out her door, led to the breakroom by her assistant, Regina watched him go, unable to tear her eyes away from him. "Um… do you often bring your wards on business?"_

_Daniel shook his head, chuckling a little. "Henry's a special case."_

" _Oh?" Regina raised her eyebrows, intrigued. "How so?"_

" _Well, Henry was one of my first cases actually," he elaborated. "I placed him in a home a few days after he was born but the parents died in an accident two years later. "_

" _Really?" breathed Regina. "Why hasn't anyone adopted him yet?"_

_Daniel shrugs, helplessly blowing out a frustrated breath. "It's been five years and I must've placed him a dozen homes since then hoping lightning would strike twice but there's always something. Loss of income, divorces… it just never works out for him."_

" _That's awful," whispered Regina, her heart aching for him._

" _You know the worst part is I think he's losing hope," lamented Daniel. "I told him I have to take him to a new group home today and he didn't even flinch. It was like he expected it."_

_Regina pressed her lips together. Through her office door, she could see Henry in the breakroom eating a chocolate chip cookie. A spot of chocolate had gotten stuck to the side of his lips and he was trying to lick it away as her assistant laughed. It blew her mind that there was no one out there for him. Or perhaps there was?_

_She thoughtfully tapped her fingers against her desk before bringing her eyes back to Daniel. "Hey… I know that when we started this I said that I only wanted a baby but if I branched out would that make things a little easier?"_

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_ **

Standing in her old room putting on her make up for the evening, Regina thought back to her senior prom. It was the first dance she ever went to. She'd tried so hard to be above it all but in truth, she got swept up in it as soon as she put on that floor length gown. She'd felt pretty and happy and loved. And all those feelings had more to do with the boy on her arm than the dress she was wearing.

Seeing Robin so much these past three days had cracked a dam inside of her. All weekend old thoughts and feelings had been trickling through. Pain, guilt, secrets - they were all fighting to get out and she knew she was helpless to stop them. Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself that it was only for one more day. All she had to do was get through this goodbye dance and tomorrow night she and Henry would be headed back to the city. Everything would be behind her again.

"Do you really need all that makeup?"

Mouth agape, she turned in her chair to face Henry as he sat on her bed, half watching her get ready, half playing space invaders on his GameBoy. "Yes I need it, young man. We're not all baby-faced like you."

He snickered turning his attention back to the game with a shrug. "I think you look pretty without it."

She rolled her eyes to hide her flattery. "Thank you sweetheart."

Turning back she watched him through the mirror as he laid out on her bed.

"So why are you guys having a dance anyway?" he asked.

"Because somebody thought it would be nice, I guess," she sighed, sweeping a rose blush onto her cheeks. "A fun way to relive the glory days."

Henry hummed, unimpressed. Setting down his game, he narrowed his eyes at her. "Will Robin be there?"

Reaching for her lipstick, she paused. "Maybe… I haven't thought about it but, yeah, he'll probably be there."

She hoped that would be the end of his questioning but of course, she wouldn't be that lucky. "If he's there are you gonna dance with him?"

Her heart thudded in chest. That was a loaded question if she'd ever heard one. "I don't know," she floundered. "Maybe, if he asks me."

Henry stared at her for a moment. "Do you like Robin? I mean _like like_ him."

Regina's breath caught in her throat as she shook her head. "No, of course not."

"You're lying." Henry's words came out blunt and angry, stunning her with their harshness.

She stared at him with wide eyes. "Henry…"

"No you said you wouldn't lie to me and now you're lying, I can tell!"

Hurt flickers in his hazel eyes and she softens. It had been one of their rules when he first came to stay with her. No lying. Not from either of them. She sighed, reaching out for his hand. "You're right, I'm sorry."

Still hesitant, he reluctantly took her hand and she turned in her chair to face him better. Hesitating for a moment, squeezed his hand tight. "The truth is when we were in high school Robin and I used to date."

Henry's face twisted up. "You mean he was like your boyfriend?"

"Yeah." Regina nodded. "And for a long time that meant he was very important to me but… things changed. I moved away and he stopped being a part of my life. So seeing him has made me feel a little weird and I think maybe you picked up on that at the lake."

"Maybe," mumbled Henry, shrugging his shoulders. "But if he was important before doesn't that mean he could be important again?"

If only he knew how much she'd been asking herself that very question. Every time she did the answer varied but one part of it never changed.

She smiled, reaching up to cup his cheek. "He'll never be as important as you."

Henry's lips pulled into a smile, signaling that he was reassured. Softly chuckling, she stood to press a kiss to his forehead. "Love you baby."

"Love you, mama."

Later on when Henry went downstairs to start a movie marathon with her father she would sit back down in front of the mirror and stare at her reflection. She'd been doing that a lot lately, looking at her face and trying to come to terms with the realization that it was now the face of a mother. It was an old habit. One she'd fallen into years ago when she carried a child she no longer speaks of. Back then the thought of being a mother had seemed so completely foreign and impossible but now she welcomes this new facet of her identity. Being Henry's mother is exactly who she was meant to be. She knows that. And once she returns to Boston she'll finally be able to properly revel in it again, without fighting the need to battle old ghosts.

Once again reaching for her lipstick, Regina silently resolved to get through the evening without incident. She'd dance, she'd have fun and laugh. And once it was over she'd leave town, her secrets still intact, her son tucked under her arm and Robin Locksely firmly in her rearview mirror… just as it should be.

Unfortunately for her, the dance would be more emotional than she'd expected.


	12. Chapter 12

_**10 Years before…at Harvard...** _

_Regina sighed as she leaned back in her seat, glancing away from her laptop screen and out her dorm window. It was early October at Harvard and the tree leaves in the courtyard had started fading to yellow, not that she spent a lot of time observing time. For the fourth night in a row, she sat at her dorm room desk, putting the final touches on a paper that was due for class. Ivy League school work wasn't a joke but damn if she didn't love every minute of it. Every moment she spent on campus she tried to soak it all in - the honor, the prestige, the pride she felt. She knew she had to because it might not last much longer._

_She sucked in a sharp breath and placed her palm against her stomach. There it was again. That flutter. That movement beneath her skin. The small, gentle reminder that there was a person inside her, one always ready to remind her "I'm here." As if she could forget._

_"Kicking again?"_

_Regina shook her head as she turned to face Mal, who was looking at her expectantly. It took some tears and finangling but they managed to get housing together for the year._

_"Not a kick," said Regina, shrugging her shoulders. "More like a… movement."_

_Mal stared at her, a flicker of awe in her blue eyes as she fiddled with the scarf around her neck. "Maybe I should stay here with you?"_

_"No," Regina immediately replied, turning back in her chair with a chuckle. "Mal, a pretty girl has asked you out for the first time in your entire life. I am not letting you screw this up." She sent her a playfully stern look. "You're going."_

_Mal groaned in frustration, slipping the scarf off her neck. "I'm never nervous. I hate being nervous. Why am I so damn nervous?"_

_"Because she's cute… and you actually like her," said Regina, with a smirk on her face._

_Mal glared at her, annoyed. "So what will you be working on while I'm out?"_

_Regina shrugged. "Nothing special. Just this essay on Tolstoy."_

_Humming thoughtfully, Mal sat on her bed. "Then might I suggest you turn to your personal problems for the evening. You know, tackle the bun-in-the-oven issue once and for all?"_

_Looking over her shoulder, Regina shot her best friend a dirty look and she responded with a smug lift of her eyebrows. Another flutter came from her torso and Regina rolled her eyes. Seemed like everyone was against her these days._

_"For your information Mal… I have been working on the bun issue."_

_"Have you?"_

_"I have," said Regina, standing to her feet. "And I have come up with a temporary solution." She went over to her closet and pulled out an extra thick, extra large Harvard sweatshirt. Grinning maniacally, she ran her hand over it's crimson threads. "Super huge sweaters."_

_Mal stared at her dubiously. "Super huge sweaters?"_

_Regina nodded. "They're the perfect tool to help me hide my belly when I finally pop."_

_Pursing her lips, Mal stared at her for a moment before taking a deep breath and standing from her bed. With sympathy in her eyes, she walked over and placed her hand on Regina's shoulder. "Okay I'm gonna gently say two things. Number one… your belly has already popped."_

_Regina pouted, dropping the sweater to her side. "It has?"_

_Mal nodded. "It's alright though, I've been spreading a rumor that you eat your feelings. Try and stay focused." She paused. "Number two… you know this isn't what I mean."_

_Her throat growing tight, Regina sadly nods. "I know," she mumbles under her breath._

_Running her thumb over the seam of her new sweater, she tries to avoid Mal's gaze. She'd spent the last few months preparing for Harvard, throwing herself into school and trying to forget everything else. A coping method that she knew would only get her so far._

_"You're almost five months now," Mal gently reminded her. "It's time to come up with a plan."_

_Biting her lip, she nodded. "I know. It's just… hard." She shrugged her shoulders. "I still don't know what I want to do."_

_Mal hummed sympathetically. She knew how much Regina was struggling with the baby issue. They did shared a room. It was impossible not to hear the tears she shed at night._

_"Maybe it'd help if you had someone to talk it over with. Someone who would care as much as you do."_

_Regina grumbled before shuffling off over to her bed and lying down on her side. Mal quickly joined her, sitting by her side "Have you thought about calling him?"_

_"What would I even say?" whispered Regina. So much time had passed since she last spoke to Robin. She wouldn't know how to speak to him about the weather, let alone the fact that she was pregnant._

_Mal shook her head. "I don't know. 'You knocked me up' feels aggressive but 'I'm with child' is way too old fashioned."_

_A surprised chuckle escaped rose from the back of her throat. "Don't you have a date to get to?"_

_Throwing her head back, Mal let out another guttural groan. "Fine, I will go have dinner with the beautiful, brunette law major. Are you sure you're alright?"_

_Regina nodded. "I'm fine. Go have fun for the both of us."_

_After a small moment of hesitation, Mal flashed her a smile. "I'll bring you back every dirty detail."_

_"I'm counting on it," Regina replied, a smirk clear on her face._

_With only a bit more prodding Mal pulled on her scarf and finally headed off to her date. Regina was happy for her, truly. Now that she was out of Storybrooke Mal was finally confident enough to start dating and she hoped that she had a good time on her date._

_For a few minutes, Regina stayed in bed running her hands over her stomach. What am I gonna do with you, she silently thought. It was far too late not to have the baby and deep inside she was glad. She wanted it to be born - it's what happens after that birth that was still a mystery to her. An obscure, terrifying mystery that she wasn't sure she wanted the answer to._

_Sitting up in bed, she reached for her laptop, opening up a sad, empty work document that she'd created two months ago. Biting her lips she stared at the two words at the top of the page._

_Dear Robin..._

_Every night for the past two months she'd opened her laptop and stared at those two words, unsure of how to continue. How does she do this? How does she tell him about their baby, about how lost and confused she feels? About how strange and upsetting it is to both hate him and need him so badly? Every time she thinks of how much she wants to say to him - scream to him - she always goes back to how much she wishes that this wasn't happening at all._

_Putting her fingers to the keyboard, she suddenly lets out a sharp hiss. Her hands fly to the left side of her torso, trying to soothe the intense pain that just erupted through her side. She takes a deep breath, setting her laptop on the stand. That definitely wasn't a kick. Again a sharp pain goes through her, this time eliciting a soft cry from her._

_Oh no._

_Something was wrong._

_\----------------_

No matter how hard they tried to cover it up it was clear that the reunion dance was in the high school gym. Walking inside Regina with her friends could see that the decorating committee had given it their all. Red and white streamers were hung from the walls to the ceiling, where a glimmering disco ball spun sending spots of light all through the room. A DJ- who upon closer inspection was a former AV club geek - was situated at the front of the room playing hits from their senior years while her old classmates danced under dim lights. The sight of it all made her a bit more nostalgic than she'd expected..

"I feel like I'm having a homecoming flashback," grumbled Ursula, linking arms with her.

"Well then this certainly won't help," giggled Carlotta, pulling a mini flask from her purse.

Regina laughed as she watched Carlotta take a sip before passing it around to the rest of the group. The image of it was an exact replica of their freshman homecoming dance - the first time she'd ever had a sip of alcohol.

"I can't believe you brought a flask," she said, shaking her head. Her face twisted up as she took sip from the flask and tasted what appeared to be lukewarm gin.

Carlotta smirked. "Hey, if the reunion committee wasn't gonna provide any booze, did you really think I wouldn't bring my own?"

"Oh please, you would've had this in your purse either way," pointed out Mal, with a roll of her eyes. Still game, she took a sip from the flask. "Keep a look out for the princess though. You know she'd be mortified if anyone appeared drunk."

Regina let her eyes scan the dance floor. She told herself she was taking in the sights, looking at old familiar faces but she knew she was only searching for one in particular. It looked like Robin hadn't appeared yet. She didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed.

Shaking the thoughts of him out of her head, she nudged Mal with her elbow. "Let's go see who's here."

It's surprising how much ten years can change a person. The dance was the first chance Regina had really taken to mingle with her former classmates. She took a moment to chat with her old lab partner Aurora Jacobs, who was finally getting treatment for her narcolepsy. Over by the punchbowl she shared a drink with Killian Rogers who, despite being the town's resident bad boy, had appeared to have gotten his act together after a stint in the Navy and the birth of his daughter. Lance Knight, the shy linebacker she used to tutor, was now married to Gwen who used to be attached at the hip to his best friend Arthur. It was weird. Everyone seemed to be so far away from the person they used to be, even the people who hadn't changed that much. And all this time she'd thought it was just her.

An hour in she was ready to call it a night. It was fun to catch up with everyone but as far as festivities went she was ready to move on. Maybe have a drink in the parking lot with the girls, catch a movie with Henry before he went to sleep. But then someone tapped her on her shoulder.

Turning she found herself looking into a familiar pair of blue eyes.

"Do you want to dance?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE. PLEASE CHECK.

**_10 years before…_ **

_ Still in his best suit David rushed down the trail by the lake looking for Robin. No one had seen him in hours. After the funeral he’d all but disappeared and David’s mother was worried. And David didn’t blame her. He and Robin had never been close. Sure they were cousins but they didn’t have much in common, they didn’t run in the same circles at school. They didn’t talk much. But the way he’d looked at his father’s funeral…  _

_ He needed to find him, make sure he was okay.  _

_ One of the waitresses at the Golden Arrow said he’d come in earlier but didn’t stay for long. After an hour or two of driving through town he’d finally spotted his truck at the baseball field near the lake. He remembered Robin saying he and Regina used to have a special spot there. It wasn’t long before he found him, sitting near the roots of a tree with at least four empty cans of beer near his feet and another in his hand. He was still dressed in his outfit from the funeral, his tie unraveled around his neck as he tilted his head back to drink another gulp of alcohol.  _

_ David sighed. “Damn it.” Cautiously, he approached his cousin. “Robin…”  _

_ Startled, Robin looked up at him a mix of surprise and shame in his bloodshot eyes. As he lowered the can from his lips, his expression turned sour. “What the hell are you doing here?”  _

_ His words slurred together and David grimaced, realizing how drunk he already was. “Looking for you. You left the funeral and didn’t tell anybody. Mom’s worried.”  _

_ Robin huffed, looking away. “I’m fine.”  _

_ “Clearly,” replied David, eyeing the case of beer next to the tree. “You shouldn’t be drinking Robin.”  _

_ “And who’s gonna stop me?” scoffed Robin, glaring at him. “Mom’s dead, Dad’s in the ground too and the love of my life is off at college.” He snapped open another can of beer. “There’s literally no one left who cares.”  _

_ David tried not to let that comment sting. True, they weren’t friends but they were still family. Of course, he cared.  _

_ Robin took another gulp of beer, then sighed heavily. “You wanted to make sure I was okay. I’m okay. You can go now.”  _

_ “You really think I’m gonna leave you out here to down a whole case of beer by yourself?”  _

_ “Yeah, unless you plan to join me.”  _

_ “I’m not gonna do that, Robin.”  _

_ “Then you can fuck off David!” snapped Robin. “I buried my father today! I don’t have parents anymore! So as far as I’m concerned if I wanna drink ‘til I can’t feel anymore that’s my goddamn right but I’m not gonna do it with you standing over my shoulder all night!”  _

_ His words were sharp and angry as they echoed across the lake, making David flinch.  _

_ Robin sucked in deep breath, reaching for another can of beer. He held it out to his cousin. “You have to option Dave. You can sit here and drink or you can judge me and leave but that is it.”  _

_ David gulped, hesitating as he stared at his cousin, barely recognizing the person in front of him. His face was angry but his eyes seemed hurt. He couldn’t leave him alone. Sighing, he accepted the can of beer. “Give me your keys first.”  _

_ “Fine,” Robin mumbled under his breath. He dug his car keys out of his pocket and tossed them at David before dropping down beneath the tree again.  _

_ Sighing David, cracked open his beer and joined him. He’d never liked drinking. Family history aside, he liked to keep a clear head. Hopefully, he could get away with nursing one beer for the night and keep Robin from going off the deep end. He’d figure out how to get him home when he passed out.  _

_ He didn’t know how long they sat there, not speaking. With all the tension it felt like forever. Taking a sip from his can every ten minutes, letting it run lukewarm, David tried to focus on the sound of the crickets and birds rather than the swirling ball of emotion that was his cousin. Sitting beside him, made him feel useless in the worst possible way. They were family. There should be something he could do or say to lessen the pain, at least a little.  _

_ “I ruined my whole life.” Robin stared at his hands, letting an empty beer can fall to the ground. “I have nothing left.”  _

_ “That’s not true,” whispered David.  _

_ “It is,” replied Robin, nodding his head. “I lost my father. I gave up my spot at college and ruined things with the only girl I’ve ever loved.”  _

_ David shook his head. “Hey… it’s not your fault you and Regina didn’t work out.”  _

_ “Yes it is,” he whispered, choked up. “I told her I never loved her. I sent her away and… now she hates me.”  _

_ “Oh,” breathed David. Damn. He knew Robin and Regina broke up but he assumed it was a mutual thing, like all the other senior couples.  _

_ “I miss her,” Robin said softly.  _

_ “Then call her,” urged David. “Tell her what happened. Tell her the truth.”  _

_ Robin shook his head. “I can’t now. It’s too late.”  _

_ No it’s not, David wanted to say. It couldn’t be. He had a girl he loved, Mary-Margaret. Sure they were just teens but he couldn’t imagine a life without her. He had to believe if he screwed up, there would be a chance for him to make it right. And the same had to be true for Robin. No matter how much time passed.  _

\------------------------------

David noticed Regina as soon as she’d walked in; Mary-Margaret had pointed her out, surprised she’d shown up. No one expected to see Regina Mills in Storybrooke again. After the news came out that she and Robin broke up, they were sure there was nothing here for her anymore. Though he never spoke it aloud, David thought differently. He always knew Regina Mills would be back. Whether she knew it or not, she had unfinished business here. 

With one eye he watched Regina and with the other he watched the door, hoping his cousin would make an unscheduled appearance. Even after ten years, he still rooted for Robin to tell her the truth. He didn’t know if Regina would take it well. All he knew is ever since graduation his cousin had been walking around with the weight of a million “what if’s” strapped to his back. It was time he unloaded them. 

He must’ve seen distracted because his wife was pushing him toward the crowd, ordering him to mingle in an excited whisper that meant there was no arguing with her. He could’ve gone anywhere in the gym - caught up with his old football buddies, said hello to the AV Club - but he went straight to her. Almost felt like he had no choice. 

She grinned when she realized it was him who tapped her on the shoulder. “David, hi!” 

“Hi.” He smiled, gesturing toward the dance floor. “Do you want to dance?” 

She eyed the dance floor, playfully hesitant. “During a slow song?” She raised an eyebrow. “Think your wife will be alright with that?” 

“I think my wife is occupied for the moment.” He nodded toward the edge of the dance floor where his wife was currently swaying in the arms of her best friend, Ruby Lucas. “I don’t think she’ll mind.” 

Satisfied, Regina nods. “Sure.” 

She lets David lead her onto the dance floor. Ever the gentleman, he places his in the middle of her back, high enough so there’s not even the slightest chance he’s getting fresh with her. She could almost chuckle at the amount of effort he’s putting into his making sure his intentions come off purely platonic. It reminds her of the days in AP chemistry when always insured three feet of space between them at all times. It’s cuter now that he’s an adult. 

As they swayed to the rhythm of “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay, David looks down at her, sheepish. “It appears I owe you an apology.” 

She lifts her eyebrows, surprised. “Do you?” 

“Yeah…” he drawls, feeling foolish. “I might’ve made a miscalculation and told Robin you had a love child.” 

“Thought it might be you who started that rumor,” she grumbled. Rolling her eyes, she sighed and shook her head. “It’s okay. We’re at our high school reunion. A bomb’s gonna drop at some point. Not surprised I was everyone’s first suspect.” 

“Well, I’m still sorry,” he insisted. “And Robin told me about the adoption. That’s amazing.” 

A glowing smile appeared on her face. “Thanks. Henry is… the love of my life.” 

He nodded, going silent for a moment before asking, “What was that like? Adopting?” 

Her smile dips a little, thrown off by his question. Not quite sure how honest he wants her to be she meanders for a bit. “It was… rewarding but really difficult at first. There were a lot of tough, hard moments but once I found Henry things fell into place for us. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

“That’s nice,” he mumbles, his eyes dropping to the floor. 

Within seconds she can tell she’s lost him. Gently squeezing his hand, she tries to pull him back into the moment. “You alright, David?” 

“I’m fine,” he quickly assures her. “It just… must be nice is all. Having a kid.” 

She tilts her head at him, curious. “Are you and Mary-Margaret thinking of trying?” 

Honestly, she’s a little surprised they don’t have a gaggle of kids already. She knows that had been Mary-Margaret’s plan. She’d wanted to be a mother since she was handed her first baby doll. It was all she’d talked about in high school. 

David gulped. “We’ve been trying for years now.” He shrugged. “Haven’t had any luck.” 

“Oh.” She tried her best to keep the shock off her face, knowing despite her efforts she’d failed miserably. “I’m sorry.” 

“No need to apologize,” he immediately replied. Unable to stop himself he added, “We’ve gotten pregnant a few times actually but… they didn’t work out.” He pauses. “We sort of...lost one just last month.” 

“Last month?” The words tumble from her mouth before she can hold them back. Her eyes flicker across the dance floor towards his wife, who is still dancing with her best friend, a smile on her lips and blush in her cheeks. She looks so… happy. Regina would never have guessed any differently. 

David sighs, eyeing his wife with the same look of wonder as his dance partner. “I don’t know how she does it but she always makes it through. She always stays positive.” He shakes his head. “I’m not half as strong as her.” 

Regina swallows hard. David’s grip on her waist the only thing holding her up at the moment as memories flash behind her eyes and grief rises up in her stomach. She struggles to push it down. She wants to run away but her body is frozen in place, trapped in this dance and unable to escape. Taking a deep breath she brings herself back into the moment. 

“She’s compartmentalizing,” she says. David looks at her and she shakes her head. “It’s only gonna get her so far. One day the dam will break and the emotions will overflow, in some way or another. Let them.” Biting her lip, she pauses. “Dealing with the loss of a possibility is hard. Especially when there’s nothing real for you to say goodbye to.” 

Filled with sympathy, he narrows his eyes at her. He didn’t know why he’d dropped all his baggage at her feet. They’d hardly told a soul about their struggles. But the way she’d spoken to him, the advice she’d given and the easy understanding in her eyes. It all spoke to a truth she’d hadn’t said aloud. One she didn’t need to. He understood. 

The song reached its end and they both let out a subtle breath of relief, knowing their little emotional excursion had reached its end. 

“Thanks for the dance,” she said, squeezing his hand. 

“Anytime,” he said, forcing a smile onto his face. 

He started to walk away and she called out to him. Ripping her name tag off her chest, she hastily scrawled a phone number beneath her name and pressed it into his hand. “It’s the number for the agency I used with Henry.” She shrugged. “If you ever want to give them a call…” 

“Thanks,” he softly replied, staring at the slip of paper with uncertainty. “Maybe we’ll think about it.” 

As he disappeared into the crowd, surely heading back toward his wife, Regina remained where she was, weighted in place by the emotions flooding her heart. Looking around at the disco lights and confetti, hearing the upbeat music she knew she needed to get out of this gym. Everything about it amplified how down she was feeling and after what just happened she really wanted to hug her kid. 

Sending Mal a text that she was leaving, she grabbed her denim jacket and headed outside. A warm summer breeze fell over her and she instantly felt better. The distinct smell of Storybrooke - a mix of lake water, cows and wildflowers - hit her nose and she breathed it in, savoring the moment. She’d forgotten how comforting the smell of her hometown could be, how familiar. A part of her regrets staying away for so long but she quickly reminds herself she’d had good reason to stay away. 

Looking down the road, she grimaces. It’s about a mile to her father’s house. Not completely unwalkable but still a pain. Storybrooke is a one-cab kind of town and she doubts Uber has made an appearance here. Crossing her arms, she starts walking. At least she doesn’t have to worry about being mugged. 

Her pace is decidedly slow. She wants to enjoy this walk, enjoy having a moment alone. She hasn’t had one since she’d come back to town. 

Tomorrow afternoon she and Henry would be on their way to Boston and surprisingly she was a little sad about that. She doubted she’d ever have a reason to return, not in the immediate future anyway. It was exactly how she’d felt in the days before graduation. She’d been so focused on all the reasons she wanted to leave, she hadn’t wanted to dwell on the good things she’d be leaving behind. The clear night sky, all her old classmates, the house she’d grown up in. It was nice to be reminded there were things about her hometown that she actually liked. 

But of course, there were some things that she didn’t like at all. 

Turning the corner onto her street, she stops in her tracks when she sees a blue pickup truck waiting at the end of the block. It’s a familiar sight. One she used to run to on weeknights when she’d sneak out of her bedroom window and down the street where her parents couldn’t see her climb into her boyfriend’s truck. 

She doesn’t even have to look through the window to know it’s Robin. Pausing, she debates whether it’s a good idea to address the fact that he’s waiting for her. Her dance with David was emotionally draining enough, she didn’t need anymore drama on top of that. However, it was her last night in town. And leaving without having one last talk with him didn’t sit right at all. 

Holding her breath, she traveled around to the driver’s side of the truck and knocked on the window. It rolled down and revealed Robin sitting in the driver’s seat, a nervous look in his eye. 

“Hey.” 

“Hey.” 

They stared at each other for a moment, letting the weight of the night fall over them. They both knew anything that happened next, they’d probably remember for the rest of their lives. 

“Are you up for a drive?” 

“Sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: MISCARRIAGE; FERTILITY TROUBLES


End file.
